Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 29 : Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has raised concerns over the Mumbai Indians' (MI) inconsistent form in the ongoing IPL 2026, warning that the five-time champions should win all their remaining matches to keep their playoff hopes alive after they suffered a one-sided loss against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
The Super Kings registered a mammoth 103-run victory over their arch-rivals Mumbai, powered by Sanju Samson's century and Akeal Hosein's four-fer.
Samson hit his second century of the IPL 2026 when he made an unbeaten 101 off 54 balls, with the help of 10 fours and six sixes, which helped CSK set a big target of 208 runs for MI at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.
In response, Hosein starred with a four-wicket haul (4/17), while Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Jamie Overton, Anshul Kamboj and Gurjapneet Singh also chipped in as MI were bundled out for 104, losing the one-sided contest.
Speaking on Star Sports ahead of MI's clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 29, JioStar expert Gavaskar highlighted MI's inconsistency in the ongoing season and pointed to their recent batting collapse against CSK.
"MI now need to win every game from here, and they have the capability to do that. It's just about things clicking for them," Gavaskar said.
Referring to their batting failure in the previous outing, he added, "The recent loss, especially getting bowled out for 100-odd against CSK, was disappointing. Such heavy defeats can hurt them later, particularly in a tight race for the fourth playoff spot."
Mumbai will look to bounce back when they host Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who are on a four-match hot winning streak on Wednesday evening. The high-voltage clash will be hosted at the iconic Wankhede Stadium.
Meanwhile, as of the latest update in the ongoing IPL 2026 season, the points table is shaping up into a tightly contested race, with Punjab Kings leading the standings despite a recent loss to Rajasthan Royals.
They have 13 points from 8 matches, followed closely by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in second place with 12 points from 8 games and an impressive Net Run Rate of 1.919. Rajasthan Royals are placed third with 12 points from 9 matches, while Sunrisers Hyderabad occupy fourth spot with 10 points.
The Gujarat Titans sit fifth with 8 points from 8 matches, maintaining a balanced win-loss record. Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals are placed sixth and seventh, respectively, both on 6 points, while Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians occupy the lower half of the table with fewer wins so far in the season. Both are ranked in eighth and ninth places, respectively.
Lucknow Super Giants are languishing at the bottom of the points table.