Harbhajan Singh Criticizes Malinga and Jayawardene for Over-Coaching During Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2025 Qualifier Loss

Last Updated Jun - 02 - 2025, 04:29 PM | Source : Fela News

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh slams Mumbai Indians coaches Lasith Malinga and Mahela Jayawardene for excessive dugout involvement, saying it hurt the tea

Lasith Malinga and Mahela Jayawardene faced criticism for their excessive involvement from the dugout during the IPL 2025 Qualifier 2 between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. In a thrilling high-scoring contest, Punjab Kings chased down Mumbai Indians' total of 203 with seven wickets in hand, thanks to captain Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten 87. This win secured PBKS a spot in the final against Royal Challengers Bangalore, ensuring a new IPL champion this season.

However, many felt for the five-time champions Mumbai Indians, who were aiming for a sixth title. Among the factors contributing to their loss, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh pointed out what he believed was a major issue: the over-involvement of the coaching staff during the match. Harbhajan criticized the constant barrage of instructions from head coach Jayawardene and bowling coach Malinga as MI tried to contain the PBKS innings.

“Look at the Mumbai Indians dugout. When runs were leaking, there was far too much outside interference. Coaches were telling bowlers like Bumrah exactly what to do and what not to do. A dressing room needs to stay calm and collected. Coaches should advise, not display desperation. Too much interference can break a team’s spirit,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.

While Malinga frequently communicated with players in the dugout, Jayawardene stood out with his highly animated behavior whenever MI faced pressure. During the previous match—the Eliminator against Gujarat Titans—a video of Jayawardene giving instructions to Bumrah went viral, where the pacer appeared to ignore the advice and asked the coach to calm down.

Harbhajan urged Jayawardene to trust the experienced players like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Bumrah, who have won multiple IPL titles. “These are big players, and when they are on the field, they should be allowed to execute their plans without constant interference. They’ve won many trophies together and deserved more faith. Instead, the coaching staff kept interrupting and gesturing, which wasn’t helpful,” Harbhajan added.