IPL 2026: Mumbai Indians Suffer Setback Ahead Of KKR Clash; Mitchell Santner, Will Jacks Ruled Out

Mumbai: The second match of the tournament will feature five-time champions Mumbai Indians taking on the three-time trophy winners, Kolkata Knight Riders. However, Mumbai has suffered a setback ahead of the contest; the team's overseas players, Mitchell Santner and Will Jacks, will not be available for the opening match.

Why are Mumbai Indians in trouble?

According to a report by ESPN Cricinfo, Mumbai Indians fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah—along with two other key players—was absent from the team's mandatory training session at Wankhede Stadium just days before the upcoming match. Mitchell Santner recently captained the New Zealand squad in the T20 World Cup, leading the team all the way to the final. Subsequently, he was also part of the T20 series against South Africa, where, after playing three matches, he was rested for the remaining two. He is expected to join the Mumbai squad shortly; however, no specific details regarding his arrival have been released yet.

Will Jacks will be unavailable due to personal reasons and may join the squad at a later date. Jacks delivered a stellar performance during the T20 World Cup, playing a pivotal role in guiding England to the semi-finals. He was part of the England squad that played the semi-final against India and subsequently departed for England on a chartered flight along with the rest of the team. As of now, it remains unconfirmed whether Santner and Jacks have arrived in India.

How are MI and KKR preparing?

Ahead of Sunday's clash, both MI and KKR held practice sessions at Wankhede Stadium. For MI, Rohit Sharma was the first to take strike in the nets; during a batting session lasting over an hour, he focused specifically on facing fast bowling. Shardul Thakur and Hardik Pandya bowled extensively to him, frequently utilizing short-pitched deliveries. In addition to bowling for nearly an hour, Hardik also spent some time honing his skills with the bat. In the final phase of training, MI's fast bowlers—Deepak Chahar, Ashwini Kumar, and Mohammad Izhar—bowled under the supervision of bowling coach Lasith Malinga.