Paras Mhambrey Backs Deepak Chahar After Mumbai Indians’ Catching Woes
Moving Forward After Elimination
The Mumbai Indians (MI) campaign for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) officially concluded its playoff aspirations on May 8. With four matches remaining in the league stage and several weeks left in the tournament, the situation presents a unique psychological challenge. Players and staff must continue to travel across the country to compete in fixtures that no longer carry the weight of post-season contention. However, for MI assistant coach Paras Mhambrey, the motivation remains grounded in professionalism and the pursuit of quality cricket.
“Our preparation is simple: look at winning the games. That’s what we’ve been doing,” Mhambrey stated following the team’s defeat to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). This loss marked the ninth defeat in 13 matches for the franchise this season. Mhambrey emphasized that the focus remains on team construction and learning, stating, “We want to look back and say: how do you work around constructing a team, what are the things that we need to learn from this game and take it to the next game?”
Addressing the Fielding Difficulties
Fielding, particularly catching, has been a significant point of concern for Mumbai Indians throughout the 2026 season. During the recent encounter with KKR, Deepak Chahar found himself at the center of two notable incidents. In the tenth over of the KKR chase, a top-edged pull from Rovman Powell created confusion in the deep. Chahar and teammate Robin Minz both converged on the ball; despite Chahar appearing to be in the better position, the players failed to coordinate, and the ball landed safely between them.
The second incident occurred in the 18th over, involving a scoop from Tejasvi Dahiya. As the ball soared toward the short fine-leg area, Ryan Rickelton and Chahar both pursued the catch. In the ensuing scramble, the two players narrowly avoided a collision, leaving Chahar visibly frustrated as he jammed his knee into the turf.
Mhambrey Supports His Player
Despite the frustration these errors caused, Mhambrey was quick to offer his support to Chahar during the post-match conference. He firmly rejected the notion of placing blame on individual players. “No one does it on purpose. You drop catches. It just happens, part of the game,” he noted. “I’m not going to blame anyone out here. If you look at Corbin [Bosch], he took a brilliant catch. So you compensate it for that, right?”
Mhambrey further elaborated on the pressures players face in the middle of a high-intensity match. He explained that players are often balancing multiple tactical thoughts, which can occasionally lead to lapses in coordination. “I would not blame, put Deepak under the train out here, definitely not,” he added.
Statistical Context
Interestingly, while the recent errors have been highlighted, data suggests that Mumbai Indians are not the statistical outliers in poor fielding this season. According to ball-by-ball analysis, MI has dropped 14 catches throughout the campaign. Compared to the rest of the league, this record actually places them as the fourth-most efficient team in terms of fielding performance, with other franchises like the Punjab Kings recording significantly higher drop counts.
Looking Ahead to the Finale
The Mumbai Indians now return to the Wankhede Stadium to conclude their season with a fixture against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). For Mhambrey, the focus remains singular: securing a win at home. “You need to find a way to win. It’s like a home game for us. So we know the surface as well,” he said. As the team prepares for this final afternoon game, the goal is to finish the 2026 campaign with a positive performance, moving past the frustrations of the season to build a foundation for the future.
