Mahela Jayawardene Breaks Silence On Mumbai Indians' IPL Trophy Drought: 'Some Teams Haven't Won It Forever'
Mumbai Indians will play against Delhi Capitals in their upcoming match of the IPL 2026, on April 4.
IPL 2026: Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians (MI) will face Axar Patel’s Delhi Capitals in the eighth match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Saturday, April 4.
The Mumbai-based franchise had a strong start to the season, sealing a six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 29 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. It was the first time in 14 years that MI had won their opening match of an IPL season.
Mumbai Indians last lifted the IPL trophy in 2020, meaning it has been more than five years since their most recent triumph. Overall, MI have won five IPL titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
In recent times, the franchise has faced criticism over its trophy drought. However, head coach Mahela Jayawardene offered a strong response to critics.
Mahela Jayawardene Hits Back At Critics
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Jayawardene emphasized the competitiveness of the tournament, noting that with 10 teams involved, winning consistently is a challenge.
“Ten teams make it an even harder competition. But I think in the last five years, we were in the playoffs two or three times, if I am not mistaken. That means we had our opportunities, just missed out at the last bit. In a competition like this, you have to take one game at a time and go through the process. As a team, we know we have done well consistently over a period of time,” Jayawardene said.
He also took a subtle dig at critics, pointing out that several franchises are yet to win their maiden IPL title.
“We just need to continue trusting the process and keep playing good cricket. That’s how we’ve been successful, and I don’t see why we need to change. As long as we keep pushing ourselves to the limit in every game and maintain the same attitude on and off the field, the results will take care of themselves. Rather than putting pressure on ourselves at the start of the season by saying we haven’t won it for four years—some teams haven’t won it ever. With all due respect, we just focus on our process and how we need to go about it,” he added.
MI Hold Fourth Place In IPL 2026 Table
Currently, Mumbai Indians sit fourth on the IPL 2026 standings with two points and a net run rate of +0.687.
Published By : Aniket Datta
Published On: 3 April 2026 at 18:46 IST