Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 23 (ANI): Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mahela Jayawardene has opened up on Jasprit Bumrah's lean patch in IPL 2026, saying the team management and training staff worked closely with the star pacer to manage his workload and tactical role during the season.

Bumrah is having a forgetful run in IPL 2026. In 13 matches, the MI speedster has just scalped four wickets at an economy of 8.36.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of MI's clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, Jayawardene said Bumrah, being an experienced campaigner, was fully involved in the discussions regarding his usage.

'It was a good conversation, and Bumrah is very experienced now. I think he knew as well, so it was a collective conversation with his training staff as well, like where do we push him, because of workload management as well and how much he could bowl in nets during preparation,' Jayawardene said.

He explained that MI initially tried to use Bumrah in specific match situations to ease pressure, although the nature of being a lead bowler naturally brings responsibility in key phases.

'Initially, we tried to tactically use him in situations so that he's not too under pressure, but being a lead bowler, he's always under pressure. But we used him in different ways this season, so that it doesn't give him a bit more freedom, but he understands that,' he said.

Jayawardene also highlighted Bumrah's positive attitude towards experimentation and adjustments within the bowling unit.

'He comes back, smiles and says, of course it worked. Let's try something different. So it's been a good conversation,' he added.

Reflecting on the broader season, the MI head coach said both the player and management learned from the experience, even though results did not always go in their favour.

'I think we all learn from these kinds of seasons and managing all that. But one thing is for sure, there's no doubt that he put in during these six or eight weeks to get back to where he should be,' Jayawardene said.

He further praised Bumrah's recent return to form, noting his pace and execution in the closing stages of the season.

'I mean, the last few games, he was top-notch. He was back again, bowling that 140 kmph mark, 142 kmph, and the Yorkers were nailing. So I can't take anything away from his work and what he puts on the field,' he said.

Jayawardene concluded that while earlier plans did not fully succeed, the team is focused on moving forward with a clearer understanding.

'It's just that it didn't happen on the field. But we've had good conversations, and we know what we need to do. We tried, it didn't work, but we just need to move on from that,' he said.

Mumbai, who are already out of the IPL 2026, will look to end their campaign on a positive note.

Rajasthan, on the other hand, will look to secure a victory and seal their playoff birth. A loss against Mumbai will put the Royals in a tricky position as they will be dependent on other teams to qualify for the playoffs.

Squads: Mumbai Indians Squad: Ryan Rickelton(w), Rohit Sharma, Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Will Jacks, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Raghu Sharma, AM Ghazanfar, Shardul Thakur, Mayank Rawat, Robin Minz, Krish Bhagat, Trent Boult, Keshav Maharaj, Sherfane Rutherford, Mohammed Salahuddin Izhar, Danish Malewar, Mayank Markande, Ashwani Kumar. Rajasthan Royals Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal(c), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(w), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Donovan Ferreira, Shubham Dubey, Dasun Shanaka, Jofra Archer, Sushant Mishra, Sandeep Sharma, Brijesh Sharma, Yash Raj Punja, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Aman Rao Perala, Ravi Bishnoi, Riyan Parag, Ravindra Jadeja, Adam Milne, Shimron Hetmyer, Nandre Burger, Kwena Maphaka, Tushar Deshpande, Kuldeep Sen, Vignesh Puthur, Ravi Singh. (ANI)