"Classic Cheating": Mumbai Indians Accused Of 'Fixing' Over Bizarre Concussion Substitute

Mumbai Indians Accused Of 'Fixing' [Source: X]

Mumbai Indians landed in fresh trouble over a concussion substitute decision as CSK overpowered them completely in the 33rd match of IPL 2026 held at the Wankhede Stadium.

Batting first, CSK posted a strong total of 207/6 on the board after Sanju Samson hammered 101* off 54 balls. However, Mumbai completely caved into the pressure in a chase that never took off.

Mumbai Indians called out for fixing

In the chase, the Mumbai Indians lost 3 wickets for just 11 runs on the board. While Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav tried to rebuild the inning, the asking rate already went out of reach.

Amid this, Mitchell Santner injured his shoulder while fielding and had to walk out of the field. He rested in the dressing room and strapped his shoulder.

However, in a bizarre decision, the Mumbai Indians brought in Shardul Thakur as his concussion substitute. Generally, concussion substitutes are allowed only in cases where a player gets a head injury.

But Santner didn’t qualify for having a concussion substitute, as he sustained a shoulder injury. This unexpected turn of events drew flak on social media as fans were quick to judge the Mumbai Indians and accuse them of ‘fixing.’

Vk18

@vk188888

@Im__Arfan He hit his head ig. Santer the batter is >>>> Shardul. Atleast jacks should have been sub to makes match intresting and to get some controversy.

Sarcastic Dinesh

@DThirukkonda

@FarziCricketer Umpire uses Head and Shoulder Shampoo, so shoulder also fine 🥸

Manya

@CSKian716

Agar farzi concussion sub karna hi tha toh atleast Pollard ko le ke aate, all this harakiri for Lord Thakur. 😭

Archer

@poserarcher

Shardul thakur is concussion sub for Santner..how is shoulder injury counted as concussion..does Santner have brain in the shoulder? Classic Mumbai indian cheating

Apr 23, 2026, 10:39 PM

Bouncer X

@bouncrX

Wait... Heard that Shardul Thakur has replaced Mitchell Santner as a concussion replacement for Mumbai Indians? But Santner’s injury was to his shoulder, not his head! How does that even qualify under IPL rules? MI once again showing their massive power and getting special

Dhruv.

@87off41

Concussion substitute is only allowed when player suffers head or neck injury but Mitchell Santner suffers a shoulder injury, then how Shardul thakur replaced him and he is a fast bowling allrounder whereas Santner is a spin allrounder. Stop fixing matches @mipaltan !!!

Apr 23, 2026, 10:35 PM

Also Read - CSK Faces Fan Wrath As Urvil Patel Denied Chance In MI vs CSK After Padding Up

CSK lit up Wankhede in the first innings

After opting to bowl first, the Mumbai Indians were put under immense pressure by a sensational century from Sanju Samson, who remained unbeaten on 101 off just 54 balls. 

Supported by cameos from Ruturaj Gaikwad and Dewald Brevis, CSK posted a commanding 207/6, capitalising on a strong powerplay and sustained middle-overs momentum.

Mitchell Santner and Hardik Pandya bowled expensive spells while Allah Ghazanfar and Ashwani Kumar picked two wickets each.

Mumbai Indians spiral in the chase

In response, Mumbai’s batting completely collapsed under scoreboard pressure. Early wickets derailed the chase, with Quinton de Kock, Naman Dhir, and Hardik Pandya failing to make an impact. 

While Suryakumar Yadav (36) and Tilak Varma (37) tried to stabilise the innings, their efforts weren’t enough to keep up with the steep required rate. They build a 73-run partnership before Tilak was dismissed by Akeal Hosein.

Also Read - Shardul Thakur Replaces Mitchell Santner As Concussion Substitute In MI vs CSK Match

The real damage was done by Akeal Hosein, who delivered a match-defining spell, picking up 4 wickets for 17 runs in 4 overs and dismantling MI’s middle order. 

Noor Ahmad also chipped in with crucial strikes to ensure there was no comeback. At 90/7 in 14 overs, the Mumbai Indians now need an improbable 118 runs off just 36 balls, effectively sealing the game in CSK's favour.

This loss will hurt MI big time as they will slip in the points table and their NRR will also take a big hit.

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