PBKS Bowl First vs MI as Rohit Sharma Sits Out with Hamstring Injury

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and chose to field first against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium. MI skipper Hardik Pandya confirmed that star opener Rohit Sharma is sidelined with a hamstring injury, with Quinton de Kock opening instead. Mumbai, languishing in ninth place, are desperate for a second victory this season. Punjab, with three wins, look to maintain their positive momentum with an unchanged lineup.

Key Points: IPL 2026: PBKS vs MI Toss Update, Rohit Sharma Injured

  • PBKS win toss and bowl first
  • Rohit Sharma out with hamstring injury
  • MI seek second win of season
  • PBKS aim to continue winning form
2 min read

IPL 2026: PBKS opt to field first against MI: Rohit Sharma misses out due to hamstring injury

PBKS opt to field against MI. Rohit Sharma misses out with a hamstring injury. Get playing XI, toss quotes, and match preview.

"s, and match preview.QUOTE: Ro misses out from last game, he will take a couple of games. - Hardik Pandya"

Mumbai, April 16

Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to field first against Mumbai Indians in their Indian Premier League clash at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

MI, down at the ninth spot in the points table, will be aiming to make it their second win of the season, having won just one out of their four games and losing their previous match to defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) by 18 runs. While PBKS, who have won three matches with one match ending in a no result, will be eyeing to keep their winning run going.

Speaking during the toss, PBKS skipper Iyer said, "We are looking to bowl first. Our combination has been splendid so far, so we want to continue. The team should stick to the present and not get complacent. Looks a bit dry. We are going with the same team."

On the other hand, MI skipper Hardik Pandya announced that Rohit Sharma, who faced a problem in his hamstring against RCB, misses out. Quinton de Kock will open the innings alongside his South African teammate Ryan Rickelton.

"We were looking to bowl first as well. Time to get W (win). I think last game we went for four 20-plus run overs and as a group we are aware of what not to be done. Ro misses out from last game, he will take a couple of games. (Mitchell) Santner also misses out," he said.

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Ryan Rickelton, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya(c), Sherfane Rutherford, Naman Dhir, Mayank Rawat, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah.

Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Prabhsimran Singh(w), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer(c), Cooper Connolly, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Shreyas Iyer's captaincy has been spot on for PBKS this season! Choosing to field first at Wankhede with that strong bowling attack of Arshdeep and Chahal is a smart move. Hope they continue their winning streak! 💪
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Aman W
MI at 9th position... what is happening? 😭 Hardik as captain hasn't brought the old MI aggression. Too many changes, no stability. They need to back their Indian core players more. Feeling sad for the fans.
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Sarah B
Interesting to see two South Africans opening for Mumbai. Shows how global the IPL has become! But the pressure is really on Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma to score big in the middle now.
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Vikram M
PBKS playing really sensible cricket this year. No more just power-hitting madness. Iyer bringing calmness. Shashank Singh and Stoinis as finishers is a deadly combo. Should be a good match if Bumrah fires for MI.
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Karthik V
With all respect to Hardik Pandya, his post-toss comments often sound repetitive – "we know what went wrong", "time to get a win". The team needs clear strategy and execution, not just words. The bowling, apart from Bumrah, looks very thin.

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