‘They are telling Bumrah what to do…’: Malinga and Jayawardene face criticism for impacting MI’s team spirit

Harbhajan Singh criticised the Mumbai Indians coaching staff for their excessive involvement during matches and for frequently directing players from the dugout.

Lasith Malinga and Mahela Jayawardene are facing criticism for being overly involved from the dugout during IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.

In a high-scoring encounter, PBKS chased down MI’s target of 203 with seven wickets in hand, powered by captain Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten 87, to seal their place in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

There were several reasons why Mumbai Indians had to face a defeat against Punjab Kings but former India spinner Harbhajan Singh highlighted that head coach Mahela Jayawardene and bowling cocah Lasith Malinga were involved a lot during and they were continuously passing instructions while MI was trying to defend the target.

“Look at the Mumbai Indians dugout. When they were leaking runs, there was way too much involvement from the outside. Coaches are telling a bowler like Bumrah what to do and what not. A dressing room needs to remain calm and composed. Coaches should only give advice. Don’t show desperation. So somewhere I felt that when this happens way too much, it breaks their spirit,” Harbhajan Singh said on his YouTube channel.

Although Malinga was seen regularly interacting with players from the dugout, it was Mahela Jayawardene who stood out with his visibly animated reactions, especially whenever Mumbai Indians were under pressure. In the previous match the Eliminator against Gujarat Titans a video went viral showing Jayawardene trying to give instructions to Jasprit Bumrah, which the pacer appeared to ignore, instead signalling the coach to stay calm.

Harbhajan Singh later pointed out that these players are seasoned winners and sometimes, it’s better for coaches to stay back, trust the team, and let them stick to the game plan rather than constantly intervening.

“Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, these are big players. And when they are playing, let them do what they need to do to get the right result for the team. They have won many trophies together. They needed to be shown a lot more faith, but the coaching staff time and again were interfering and gesturing with their hands,” added Harbhajan.

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