Ravi Shastri calls a spade a spade, tells Mumbai Indians to ‘look in the mirror’ as IPL playoff hopes all but over

Mumbai Indians are all but out of the IPL 2026 playoff race after losing to the Chennai Super Kings on Saturday.

Updated on: May 3, 2026, 07:04:10 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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Who would have thought that the Mumbai Indians would all be out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 playoff race with still two weeks left in the group stage? But this is exactly what has happened. The Hardik Pandya-led side are standing on the cusp of elimination after the loss against the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday. The performance from Mumbai was yet another abject surrender, and there was nothing much to ride home about.

Mumbai Indians' Hardik Pandya looks dejected after the match against CSK. (REUTERS)

After the first nine matches, the Mumbai Indians stand in the ninth spot in the points table with just two wins. Even if the team win all their remaining fixtures, they can reach a maximum of 14 points, which might not be enough to secure a place in the top four.

After the Mumbai Indians' loss against CSK in Chennai, former India all-rounder and head coach Ravi Shastri summed it up best, saying that if the Mumbai players were to do some soul-searching, they would realise how they wasted their potential in the IPL 2026 season.

“The Mumbai Indians would be really dejected. Disappointing season. Well, if they really look themselves in the mirror, they would feel they haven't played to potential one bit,” said Shastri immediately after CSK's emphatic eight-wicket win on Saturday.

This wasn't all, as Shastri painted a picture of reality in front of Hardik as well, saying that his team really needs to reflect on what has happened in the 19th edition of the tournament.

“Well, all I can say is tough luck today. Reflect on the season and still a month to go in the IPL,” Shastri said at the end of his chat with Mumbai captain Hardik.

What happened in the match between Mumbai and CSK?

The fixture between the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings began with Hardik winning the toss and opting to bat. Naman Dhir scored 57 runs, and in this innings, the five-time champions posted 159/7 in 20 overs. For CSK, Anshul Kamboj was the pick of the bowlers, returning with figures of 3/32.

CSK did not have any trouble in chasing the total down, overhauling the score with eight wickets in hand and 11 balls to spare. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Kartik Sharma were the leading performers with the bat, playing unbeaten knocks of 67 and 54.

With this win, CSK jumped to the sixth spot in the points table, and the team will next square off against the Delhi Capitals on Tuesday, May 5.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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