Malinga and Jayawardene Face Criticism for Over-Involvement

Lasith Malinga and Mahela Jayawardene have come under fire for their over-involvement during Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 match. The game took place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. MI posted a competitive total of 203 runs. But Punjab Kings chased it down with 7 wickets in hand. Shreyas Iyer led from the front with an unbeaten 87, guiding PBKS into the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Former MI spinner Harbhajan Singh raised concerns about the support staff’s behaviour. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he criticized the constant instructions from the dugout. Malinga and Jayawardene were visibly animated throughout the match.

“Look at the Mumbai Indians dugout,” Harbhajan said. “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.”

‘Show Faith in Proven Match-Winners’: Harbhajan Singh

Jayawardene’s behaviour was especially intense. He was seen signaling from the boundary line multiple times. This happened even in the Eliminator against Gujarat Titans. A clip of him trying to give instructions to Bumrah went viral. Bumrah appeared to ignore him and turned to Rohit Sharma instead. The moment sparked conversations about dressing room dynamics.

Harbhajan, who played for MI for many years, offered more thoughts.

“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.”

Mumbai Indians’ season has now ended. But their tactics off the field are being questioned. The focus has shifted from performance to trust. The debate over micromanagement in high-pressure games is now front and center.

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