PBKS opt to bowl, MI leave out Rohit and Santner in key changes
Shreyas Iyer said Punjab Kings will bowl first, adding that their combination has worked well so far and they want to keep things simple without becoming complacent. He noted the pitch looks a bit dry and confirmed PBKS are going with the same XI.
Hardik Pandya said Mumbai Indians also wanted to bowl first. He said the team is focused on getting a win after conceding over 20 runs in four overs in the last match. Rohit Sharma misses out again and will need a couple more games, while Mitchell Santner is also not in the XI.
Rohit Sharma ruled out again as MI manage injury setback
Rohit Sharma will miss this match for Mumbai Indians as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury picked up against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The opener is not yet fit enough to return and remains under medical care.
Hardik Pandya confirmed at the toss that Rohit will need at least a couple more games before he is ready. Mumbai Indians are being careful with his workload given the tight schedule and importance of the latter stages of the tournament. His absence continues to leave a gap at the top of the order.
Punjab Kings Playing XI : Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (c), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal
Mumbai Indians Playing XI : Ryan Rickelton (wk), Quinton de Kock, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Sherfane Rutherford, Naman Dhir, Mayank Rawat, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar
Impact Substitutes:
Mumbai Indians – Corbin Bosch, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Robin Minz, Ashwani Kumar, Raj Angad Bawa
Punjab Kings – Nehal Wadhera, Vishnu Vinod, Suryansh Shedge, Yash Thakur, Harpreet Brar
Pitch report – Mumbai is under a heatwave alert with temperatures in the late 30s and high humidity expected for this game. Dew could again play a role, and chasing remains favoured. Both matches here this season have crossed 200, with another big total likely on a small, batting-friendly Wankhede surface.
MI under pressure as PBKS stay unbeaten
MI are under pressure. Bumrah has gone 122 balls without a wicket in the IPL, though he has not been expensive. Their batting has been patchy with Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya not delivering consistently. Three straight losses after their opening win have added pressure, and they need a response at Wankhede where pace can help.
PBKS are unbeaten and playing with strong momentum under Shreyas Iyer. Their batting has been aggressive with a high run rate and they keep scoring quickly even after wickets. Confidence is high after a perfect start to the season, and their record against MI is balanced, giving them belief going into this game.