Why Rohit Sharma Is Not Playing Today (Source: AFP Photos)
Rohit Sharma was not available for Mumbai Indians (MI) on Thursday during their IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Wankhede Stadium. MI captain Hardik Pandya confirmed the development during the MI vs PBKS toss time.
Given the fact that Rohit has been the most successful IPL captain, alongside MS Dhoni, it was an unfortunate evening for Indian Premier League fans, who love to see their beloved Hitman in action with full flow. However, Hardik upset his ardent followers by saying he won’t be there in against Punjab Kings.
Reason Behind Rohit Sharma Not In MI Playing XI Vs Punjab Kings
Rohit Sharma was retired hurt during MI’s last IPL 2026 match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The 38-year-old hurt his hamstring, and therefore, he was not able to continue batting after coming to open alongside Ryan Rickelton.
Prior to the MI vs Punjab Kings IPL 2026 match, it was almost certain that Rohit would not be playing against Shreyas Iyer and his boys. And Hardik confirmed it after losing the toss. In Rohit’s absence, Quinton de Kock will open the innings alongside Ryan Rickelton.
"Rohit Sharma misses out. He's gonna take a couple of games to see exactly where he stands," Hardik said at the toss.
Along with Rohit, Hardik also confirmed that Mitchell Santner is unwell, and thus, he will miss the MI vs PBKS IPL 2026 match as well.
MI Playing XI Vs Punjab Kings
Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Sherfane Rutherford, Naman Dhir, Mayank Rawat, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah
MI Impact Subs: AM Ghazanfar, Corbin Bosch, Raj Bawa, Robin Minz, Ashwani Kumar
Also Read: Rishabh Pant Retired Hurt: List Of All Players Retired Hurt In IPL
When Was The Last Time Rohit Sharma Missed An IPL Match?
It was very rare to see MI’s very own Mumbai Cha Raja Rohit Sharma not in action when IPL is happening around. Although the last time he was not there for MI was last year only.
Rohit was hit on his knee in the IT (iliotibial) band during IPL 2025, ruling him out of MI’s match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Mumbai Indians' Form In IPL 2026
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) have not been at their best lately, particularly since Hardik Pandya became their captain.
This season as well, the star-studded side has failed to live up to their lofty expectations. At this point, they are ninth on the IPL points table, with only one victory out of four matches. Only Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have had a worse result than MI so far this season.
Before being retired out in IPL 2026, Rohit had a strike rate of 165.06 this season, making 137 runs across four innings.
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