IPL 2026: Punjab Kings Face Mumbai Indians in Dharamshala

Dharamshala. On Thursday, Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians will play a match in IPL 2026. This match will be held at HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala.

Punjab will be under pressure from losing 4 consecutive matches. Mumbai Indians can be a challenge for them.

Mumbai gave a tough fight to Bengaluru in the previous match in Raipur. However, in the end, a six gave Bengaluru victory.

Punjab's biggest problem is its bowling. Captain Shreyas Iyer has also admitted this. He had said, 'At the start of the tournament, the excellent performance of the batsmen did not reveal the weakness of the bowling, but now it has become a matter of concern.'

In the previous match, Punjab lost the game in the last 5 overs despite being in a position to win against Delhi.

Both teams are tied in the latest record

Punjab and Mumbai's head-to-head record is tied. 35 matches have been played between the two teams. Both have won 17-17 matches, and one match has been a tie. The team that wins today will take the lead.

Connolly is Punjab's top scorer

Cooper Connolly has been in excellent form for Punjab Kings this season. He has scored 415 runs in 11 matches. He has 1 century and 2 half-centuries to his name. His strike rate is 168.01.

In bowling, Arshdeep Singh has taken 13 wickets in 11 matches. His best performance is 3 wickets for 22 runs.

Rickelton scored the most runs for Mumbai

For Mumbai Indians, Ryan Rickelton has scored 382 runs in 9 matches. He has hit 1 century and 2 half-centuries. His strike rate is 188.17.

In bowling, Allah Ghazanfar has taken 13 wickets in 9 matches. His best performance is 2 wickets for 17 runs.

Punjab's pacers are conceding a lot of runs

The economy rate of the pace attack led by Arshdeep Singh has been the worst among all 10 teams this season. Despite changes like Lockie Ferguson and Ben Dwarshuis, the team has not been able to find its rhythm. It remains to be seen whether Yuzvendra Chahal gets a place in the playing-11 on this pitch.

Mumbai's worst season

This season is one of Mumbai's worst seasons. The team has won only 3 out of 11 matches and is in ninth place with 6 points. Captain Hardik Pandya has been out for the last 2 matches due to a minor injury. In his absence, Suryakumar Yadav is captaining. He himself has been struggling with poor form for the last year. All eyes will be on Bumrah and Boult's bowling in Dharamshala.

Who to watch

• Arshdeep Singh

Arshdeep Singh is very important for Punjab Kings' bowling attack and his performance this season has been fluctuating. Against Rajasthan Royals, he took 1 wicket for 68 runs, while against Gujarat Titans, he took 2 wickets for 24 runs.

Against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he took 1 wicket for 43 runs, and against Delhi Capitals, he made a comeback by taking 2 wickets for 21 runs. With the team's bowling weakening, Punjab needs Arshdeep to lead the bowling in Dharamshala, where fast bowlers dominated in the previous match.

• Rohit Sharma

Recovered from a hamstring injury, Rohit Sharma is in excellent form for Mumbai - he has scored 243 runs in 6 matches at a strike rate of 177.37 - which is his highest strike rate in any season. He has been particularly aggressive against pace bowlers, hitting a boundary every 3.2 balls. On a ground where fast bowlers are expected to play a big role, Rohit will pose a tough challenge for Punjab.

Team News: Suryakumar's participation doubtful

Ben Dwarshuis proved expensive in his first game of the season, but Punjab is likely to continue with him in place of Xavier Bartlett. They are preparing to take the field with the same playing-11 that lost to Delhi Capitals on Monday.

• Punjab's probable 12: 1. Prabhsimran Singh (wicketkeeper), 2. Priyansh Arya, 3. Shreyas Iyer (captain), 4. Cooper Connolly, 5. Marcus Stoinis, 6. Shashank Singh, 7. Suryansh Shedge, 8. Marco Jansen, 9. Ben Dwarshuis, 10. Arshdeep Singh, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal, 12. Yash Thakur.

Hardik Pandya is likely to miss the game again due to a back problem. However, there is also uncertainty about Mumbai's acting captain Suryakumar Yadav. After the previous match in Raipur on Sunday, he had gone to Mumbai for personal reasons while the rest of the team went to Dharamshala. Suryakumar may join the team on Thursday; if he is unavailable, Robin Minz or Danish Malewar may come into the playing-11.

• Mumbai's probable 12: 1. Ryan Rickelton (wicketkeeper), 2. Rohit Sharma, 3. Naman Dhir, 4. Suryakumar Yadav (captain), 5. Tilak Varma, 6. Will Jacks, 7. Raj Bawa, 8. Corbin Bosch, 9. Deepak Chahar, 10. AM Ghazanfar, 11. Jasprit Bumrah, 12. Raghu Sharma/Krish Bhagat.

Interesting Facts

• Shashank Singh has dropped five catches this season - the most dropped by any player this season.
• In seven T20 matches, Arshdeep Singh has dismissed Ryan Rickelton three times, with the batter's strike rate against the left-arm fast bowler being only 119.
• Rohit Sharma is just one half-century away from completing 50 IPL half-centuries. Only Virat Kohli, David Warner, and Shikhar Dhawan have crossed this milestone before him.