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Rohit Sharma after his dismissal vs DC in IPL 2026. PC- AP
Things are getting out of hand for the Mumbai Indians (MI), as the five-time champions lost their fourth straight fixture in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). Although Quinton de Kock smacked his third IPL century, Rohit Sharma's absence was much felt on the field against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Thursday.
Rohit Sharma had to miss the MI vs PBKS match due to a hamstring injury that the 38-year-old batter sustained against RCB last Sunday.
In his absence, Mumbai were forced to change their entire combination. Ryan Rickelton and de Kock opened the innings, while Trent Boult was benched.
Although the former MI skipper had started running before MI's last game, he didn't play vs PBKS as he failed to prove his match fitness.
Jayawardene calls Rohit Sharma's injury 'nothing serious'
After MI's hard loss to Punjab, head coach Mahela Jayawardene broke the silence on the Rohit Sharma injury update. He deemed the injury as "nothing serious," but also mentioned that the team management "doesn't want to push a player" like Rohit "early on" in the season.
“Rohit started running yesterday. He knows his body better than anybody else, so it's nothing serious, but at the same time, we don't want to push, and it's still early season," Jayawardene told in post-match presser after MI's fourth straight defeat.
"The medical staff will take that call on him,” the head coach added.
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Rohit Sharma started the season with an impeccable 38-ball 78 against KKR, but post that game, his stocks have also dropped. In next three games, he added just 59 runs at a strike rate of 131.
MI bow down to PBKS in Rohit Sharma's absence
MI fielded two aggressive overseas openers in Rohit Sharma's absence, but the home team lost Ryan Rickelton and Suryakumar Yadav to Arshdeep Singh's opening burst.
To negate the early storm, Quinton de Kock and Naman Dhir played a marvellous hand, stitching a 122-run partnership off just 68 balls. As the latter was dismissed for 50 runs in the 14th overs, the MI cruise sank in the final overs.
Despite Quinton de Kock's unbeaten 112, Mumbai could only post 195/6 after their 20 overs.
The Hardik Pandya-led unit started off their defence electrifyingly, taking two of Punjab's wickets inside the powerplay. However, they had no answers for Prabhsimran Singh (80* off 39) and Shreyas Iyer (66 in 35). Eventually, PBKS chased down the target with ease in just 16.3 overs.
What's going wrong for MI?
After playing five games in the IPL 2026, the Mumbai Indians are just looking for their best combination. MI’s top order has still been able to lay the foundation, but the middle order has been failing big time. Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya have been mere shadows of their past this season.
Moreover, skipper Pandya hasn’t been at his tactical best. MI management has been underutilising Jasprit Bumrah, who is yet to open his account in IPL 2026. Whereas, they are letting the game loose in the middle overs.
Additionally, Will Jacks' unavailability has been a major concern for them. The Englishman hasn't joined the team yet, and there is no official word on when he will join MI.
MI’s next fixture is against the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, against whom they have a poor head-to-head record. However, historically, they have performed the best with their backs against the wall.
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