Jayawardene dismisses criticism of MI's title drought, says other teams haven't won once

Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene has slammed the critics for questioning the franchise's trophy-less seasons in the Indian Premier League, saying that five years without success doesn't take away what the team has achieved since the inception of the competition in 2008.

MI have won five IPL titles and are level with the Chennai Super Kings for the joint record for the most championships. However, Mumbai haven't been at its best for a long time, with the players failing to get going in front of the rivals. They have made it to the playoffs on two occasions since their last triumph in 2020 and also finished last in 2022 and 2024.

Jayawardene is not worried and mentioned that the league has become more competitive with 10 teams and that several franchises are still aiming to win their first title.

"The competition level has reached new heights with 10 franchises trying to win the title. We have qualified for the playoffs 2 or 3 times in the last five years. It shows we had opportunities. In a league like IPL, you have to take one game at a time and follow the process. We have been consistent in terms of results," Jayawardene said ahead of the game against the Delhi Capitals.

"We just need to trust ourselves and keep playing competitive cricket. We have been successful in the past by playing our brand of cricket. I don't think we need to do something different. As long as we keep looking to improve, the results will be in our favour. We shouldn't put ourselves under pressure. Some teams haven't won the title ever. We are not making fun, but with all due respect, we just have to trust our process," he added.

Hardik Pandya has been leading the Mumbai Indians since 2024. The move was slammed by the loyal fan base of the franchise, but they started backing Hardik after he helped the Men in Blue in winning the 2024 T20 World Cup. Mumbai have the best team in the ongoing 19th edition of the tournament.

Rohit Sharma, Hardik, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma are some of the match-winners in the MI squad.

Mumbai won their campaign opener for the first time in 13 years. They defeated the Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets at the Wankhede Stadium in IPL 2026.