Mumbai Indians’ disappointing IPL 2026 campaign has now been marked by a rare and unwanted record that once again highlights the instability within the side throughout the season. The five-time champions have equalled their own IPL record of using the greatest number of players used in a single edition after fielding as many as 24 players during the tournament.

Ahead of their final IPL 2026 clash against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium, MI’s campaign has already gone completely off track. Constant changing and desperate attempts to find the right combination and a lack of settled roles became the biggest story of their season.

This is not the first time MI have found themselves in such a situation. The franchise had previously used 24 players during the inaugural IPL season in 2008 and once again repeated the same record in 2012. Such repetitive changes are often a sign of inconsistency, confusion in team planning and a failure to establish a stable playing XI.

Teams with most players used in IPL 2026

As visible in the list below, most of the struggling teams this season were forced to make constant changes to their squads in search of results.

  • MI – 24 players
  • LSG – 23 players
  • DC – 22 players
  • CSK – 21 players
  • RR – 20 players
  • KKR – 19 players
  • Punjab Kings – 19 players
  • SRH – 19 players
  • GT – 18 players
  • RCB – 16 players

Interestingly, Lucknow Super Giants finished second on the list with 23 players used during the season, another side that endured instability and inconsistent performances from both batting and bowling departments.

Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who finished as the table toppers and are also considered favourites to lift the trophy this season, used the fewest number of players among all teams with just 16 names featuring throughout the campaign. Their stability and clarity in team selection played a massive role in their success.

Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians fail to deliver

So far, Mumbai have managed to win only four of their 13 matches and under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, the side has been completely outplayed in almost every department despite possessing some of the biggest T20 names in world cricket.

The form of Suryakumar Yadav became a major concern as the World Cup-winning captain failed to consistently deliver across the tournament, raising serious questions regarding his form and overall impact this season.

Meanwhile, one of the biggest surprises came in the form of Jasprit Bumrah. Considered one of the finest bowlers in the history of T20 cricket, Bumrah struggled to produce his usual match-winning performances and even remained wicketless for long periods during the tournament.

IPL 2026 will largely be remembered as a hugely disappointing season for the five-time champions. Mumbai Indians are now expected to head into the next season with major assessments, several squad changes and a much clearer strategy at the auction table.

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