IPL 2026: 3 players MI underutilised this season

The Mumbai Indians finished their season in IPL 2026 in ninth place, with eight points from 14 games, recording just four wins.

Despite a solid start where they won their opening game of the season for the first time in 14 years, the five-time champions underwent a season of turmoil, and if reports are to be believed, significant off-field chaos. A common feature of their season was the constant chopping and changing of their lineups, which saw many players who performed not getting enough chances to prove themselves or make a difference.

Here are three players who were underutilised by the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026:

3) Corbin Bosch

South African speedster Corbin Bosch has, over the previous year, established hismelf into one of the most reliable middle and death over bowlers in the shortest format. Troubling batters with his hit-the-deck bowling and executing yorkers with accuracy in the death, he has been a difference point in the Proteas’ attack. With the Mumbai Indians struggling with their death bowling and a lack of key wicket takers, Bosch was a name significantly underutilised by the franchise.

He was one of MI’s key strike bowlers in the time he got, picking up 12 wickets in six matches at an economy of 9.67, including career-best IPL figures of 4 for 26 against champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a fiery spell of fast bowling. This makes one think how much of an impact he could have had if given a prolonged spell of games.

2) Ashwani Kumar

Ashwani Kumar has been one of the better-performing uncapped players for the Mumbai Indians since 2025. With 11 wickets in seven matches in their playoff run in 2025, he was expected to play a significant role in his second season with the five-time champions. He played his first game against the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, where he picked up match figures of 4 for 24 as they bundled the finalists out for 100.

What followed was just two more games before he was dropped in favour of more experienced names. Ashwani has been a proven wicket-taker for the team in blue and gold, and with the issues they suffered with the ball, was carded in for a longer run with the team. In his three games, he picked up six wickets, although at an economy of 10. 

1) Sherfane Rutherford

Mumbai Indians trading in big-hitting West Indian batter Shefrane Rutherford from the Gujarat Titans for a price of INR 20 crore was seen as a steal deal. The southpaw is a potent six-hitter, capable of dominating spin and pace alike. With Will Jacks missing the first half of the season, Rutherford was immediately thrusted into the playing XI.

The 27-year-old was a victim of an MI batting lineup filled with stars, unclear of what role suited them best. In the eight matches he played, he scored just 123 runs at a strike rate of 164. He displayed his hitting abilities in a brilliant 31-ball 71 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, hitting a whopping nine sixes at the Wankhede Stadium.