New Delhi, May 2 : Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull has urged for accountability among the top management of the Mumbai Indians after their six-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026. This defeat further impacted their campaign at the Wankhede Stadium.

Mumbai scored a competitive 243/5, highlighted by Ryan Rickeltonâ??s record-breaking century and solid contributions from Will Jacks and Hardik Pandya. Nevertheless, the total was not enough as SRH, led by Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Heinrich Klaasen's unbeaten innings, successfully chased the target in the highest successful chase at the venue.

The defeat highlighted a concerning pattern for Mumbai, who have struggled with consistency this season. They are currently close to the bottom of the table, with only two wins from eight matches. Doull indicated that these issues go beyond just on-field performance, pointing to deeper structural problems within the franchise and suggesting that leadership decisions made in recent years have contributed to the situation.

â??When they were in their pomp before the new teams came in, it was like a pride of lions, and Hardik was like a cub. He was a cub who played the role in the pride of lions that went away, and did a great job at GT with a franchise which he could own and control. He came back, basically tried to fight the king of the pride for the reigning jobâ?¦for the kingâ??s job, and it did not work,â?? Doull told Cricbuzz.

Mumbaiâ??s leadership change, especially replacing Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as captain, initially sparked strong reactions from fans. Although the public debate has waned, the teamâ??s results still fall short of expectations.

Doull pointed out that managing a dressing room with senior players and several leaders is complex, which he thinks has made it more difficult for the current captain to assert authority.

â??There has to be some accountability from the very top; they made that decision. They made that call they allowed him back into what was a very successful team. And now in that dressing roomâ?¦in that environment, youâ??ve got four blokes who could all be the king. Four guys have captained their country at different stages. It is a very difficult room; it is full of alphas. Everybody will be looking around. I wonder if he would do a better jobâ?¦I could do a better job. It becomes a hard environment to control,â?? he added.

Despite a star-studded lineup and a successful history with five IPL titles, Mumbai have experienced a fluctuating performance over the past three seasons. After finishing last in 2024 and losing in Qualifier 2 in 2025, their current season has again struggled to gain momentum.

Doull emphasized that this decline cannot be solely blamed on the players or the captain, highlighting that the franchiseâ??s leadership must also be accountable for the decisions that have influenced the teamâ??s present state.

â??Ownership manager, they have to take responsibility for what has happened over three years. One year can be a blip, but this has been the side that has won five titles in the 20 (19) years of the tournament. They have won a quarter,â?? Doull concluded.

Mumbai now gear up to face their arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings on Saturday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. This will be the second meeting between the two sides, with CSK beating MI by 103 runs at the Wankhede Stadium earlier this season.

/IANS