Jayawardene Backs Bumrah Amid Mumbai Indians' Bowling Woes

Despite a string of underwhelming performances, Mumbai Indians' head coach Mahela Jayawardene has thrown his support behind pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah, who went wicketless in five consecutive matches, faced the brunt as Punjab Kings comfortably chased down 196 with overs to spare on Thursday's IPL clash.

Jayawardene attributed parts of the team’s struggles to their inability to apply pressure during the powerplay phases. He noted that opposition teams are playing smart by not taking risks against Bumrah. The coach acknowledged Bumrah's initial struggle with a niggle but was positive about his increasing pace in recent games.

As the tournament progresses, challenges such as injuries to key players, like Rohit Sharma and the urgency for tactical enhancements, have surfaced. Meanwhile, MI continues to address issues in maintaining momentum and execution within their line-up, hinting at a need for sharper focus and adjustments.