IPL 2026: Punjab Kings ride batting fireworks to thrash Mumbai Indians

Mumbai: In IPL 2026, Punjab Kings has unleashed a force so formidable that no one seems able to rein it in. Even the star-studded and five-time IPL champions, Mumbai Indians, were left shell-shocked by the Punjab Kings. Punjab defeated MI by 7 wickets on their home turf. The Punjab Kings—who were the runners-up in the IPL 2025 final—remain unbeaten so far in the 19th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Punjab Kings have played five matches in IPL 2026; they have won four of them, while one match was washed out due to rain. Consequently, the team led by Shreyas Iyer now holds 9 points and has ascended to the number one spot on the points table. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians remain languishing in ninth place.

What happened during the match?

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first. Thanks to a century by Quinton de Kock, the Mumbai team managed to reach a total of 195 runs. Naman Dhir also scored a half-century, but the other batsmen failed to make significant contributions. On the bowling front, Arshdeep Singh rocked MI's foundation by taking two wickets during the powerplay and claiming another one during the death overs. The rest of the Punjab Kings bowlers also delivered impressive performances.

Punjab Kings faced a target of 196 runs—a total that, on this particular ground in Mumbai, was perhaps not a winning score. This explains why Punjab Kings were able to chase down this massive total with ease in just 16.3 overs. For Punjab Kings, Prabhsimran Singh remained unbeaten after playing a blistering innings of 80 runs off 39 balls, while Captain Shreyas Iyer played a whirlwind knock of 66 runs that turned the match into a one-sided affair. Although Allah Ghazanfar did manage to claim 2 wickets, they ultimately proved to be of no avail.

How did Jasprit Bumrah perform?

Surprisingly, Jasprit Bumrah has yet to open his wicket-taking account in IPL 2026. He has now gone five consecutive matches this season without taking a wicket—a streak that extends to six matches in the IPL, as he also failed to claim a wicket in the final match of the 2025 season against Punjab Kings. This is a matter of concern for Mumbai Indians, particularly because the bowling performance from the other end has not been up to the mark either. In terms of the number of deliveries bowled, Bumrah has already surpassed his previous record.

How did Quinton de Kock perform?

After losing the toss and stepping out to bat, Mumbai Indians got off to a shaky start. Arshdeep Singh dismissed Ryan Rickelton for just 2 runs. On the very next delivery, Arshdeep sent Suryakumar Yadav back to the pavilion without him opening his account. However, Quinton de Kock and Naman Dhir subsequently took charge, forging a 122-run partnership for the third wicket off 68 balls. Naman scored 50 runs off 31 balls, an innings that included 3 fours and 3 sixes. Meanwhile, Quinton de Kock notched up his third century in the IPL. De Kock played an unbeaten knock of 112 runs off 60 balls, smashing 8 fours and 7 sixes.

Captain Hardik Pandya failed to make a significant impact with the bat; after facing 12 balls and scoring 14 runs, he fell victim to Marco Jansen. Sherfane Rutherford managed to score only one run, while Tilak Varma—who was sent lower down the batting order—was dismissed after scoring 8 runs off 3 balls. For Punjab Kings, Arshdeep Singh delivered a brilliant bowling performance, claiming 3 wickets for 22 runs. Shashank Singh and Marco Jansen picked up one wicket each.

How did Punjab batters perform?

Punjab Kings got off to an explosive start. In the very first over, Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh smashed 21 runs off Deepak Chahar. Allah Ghazanfar dismissed Priyansh (15) in the third over. In the fifth over, he claimed the wicket of Cooper Connolly, who had scored 17 runs off 12 balls. Even after losing two wickets, Punjab Kings' run rate hovered close to 10 runs per over. Subsequently, Prabhsimran Singh found support in Captain Shreyas Iyer. The duo scored runs with ease; Prabhsimran completed his half-century off just 23 balls.

Captain Shreyas Iyer also reached his half-century in the process. Iyer got out after bringing the team close to victory. He scored 66 runs off 35 balls, aided by 5 fours and 4 sixes. Marcus Stoinis sealed the win for Punjab by hitting a four on the third ball of the 17th over. Prabhsimran remained unbeaten on 80 runs off 39 balls, with the help of 11 fours and 2 sixes.