New Delhi: Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers raises a crucial question mumbai indians Ahead of IPL 2026, there is a warning that one of their frontline pacers may no longer have the edge that once made him a match-winner.Although Mumbai Indians have a star-studded squad, ABD feels that there is a weakness that rival teams could exploit. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he noted that while the team looked balanced on paper, one of its experienced bowlers was showing subtle signs of decline.Push boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!“They don’t need more all-round players than they have. But my concern is Trent Boult. It’s similar to Bouvet [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] situation, he lost a yard. He’s not as enthusiastic as he was in 2018, 2019 and 2020, or even early 2015,” de Villiers said, indicating a clear decrease in speed and efficiency.ABD details how a bowler’s strength has diminished slightly over time. “He’s in the 140s and he does have a late swing speed because of his hot wrist, but he could be pulled back a yard and he seems more expensive than he has been in the past when I’ve seen him play in SA20,” he added.
The former RCB star warned that the apparent drop could give the team a “false sense of security”. “Maybe they feel they have a lot of insurance there, but I feel that might be a false sense of security. It might be a target area for some opposition batsmen,” he warned.Meanwhile, former India batsman Abhinav Mukund struck a more optimistic note, highlighting the depth and balance of the Mumbai Indians squad. “They have a lot of in-form players and that scares them. De Kock will love playing at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai,” he said, backing the overall strength of the team.Mukunde also questioned the need for additional options, pointing to the presence of several high-profile bowlers. “They have a lot of options and it looks very good on paper,” he added.While Mumbai Indians appear ready to contend for the title again, ABD’s assessment is a reminder that even the strongest franchise can have underlying concerns.
