Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first against <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/ipl-2026-mumbai-indians-name-krish-bhagat-as-atharva-ankolekar-replacement-ahead-of-clash-against-punjab-kings-23626025" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Mumbai Indians</a> in their IPL 2026 clash at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
PBKS have made an impressive start to the season and remain unbeaten so far, registering three wins along with one no-result. In contrast, MI have struggled to find consistency, managing just one victory in their last four outings.
After winning the toss, Iyer said the decision to bowl first was influenced by pitch conditions and the likelihood of dew later in the evening. He also expressed satisfaction with his team&rsquo;s strong start to the campaign.
&ldquo;We are going to bowl first. So far, so good &mdash; we&rsquo;ve had a brilliant start to the IPL, which is what any captain hopes for. Our combination has been working well, and we need to build rhythm and maintain momentum. The wicket looks a bit dry, but I spoke to a few players who said it improves with dew, so that played a part in the decision. We are going with the same team,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/ipl-2026-we-got-a-phenomenal-start-shreyas-iyer-reacts-after-win-against-srh-23625248" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Iyer</a> said.
Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya admitted he would have preferred to bowl first as well but remained optimistic about his team&rsquo;s chances.
&ldquo;We would have liked to bowl first too, but it&rsquo;s a good toss to lose. It&rsquo;s time for us to play good cricket and secure a win. We&rsquo;ve played decent cricket, but in a few crucial overs, we haven&rsquo;t been able to capitalise and have lost key moments,&rdquo; Pandya said.
<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/ipl-2026-mumbai-indians-skipper-hardik-pandya-presents-franchise-jersey-to-sunil-chhetri-ahead-of-punjab-kings-clash-23625847" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Pandya</a> also confirmed that veteran opener Rohit Sharma will miss the match due to injury and is expected to be sidelined for a couple of games. Additionally, all-rounder Mitchell Santner is unavailable due to illness.
&ldquo;Rohit is still recovering and will need a couple of matches to assess his condition. Mitchell Santner is also unwell and unavailable. We have a few changes &mdash; Quinton de Kock returns to the side, and Mayank Rawat makes his debut,&rdquo; he added.
<h2>Confirmed Playing XI for both teams:</h2>
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
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

IPL 2026: Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first against the Mumbai Indians. MI and PBKS are facing off at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai

IPL 2026: PBKS win the toss and elect to bowl first against MI; Rohit Sharma misses out due to injury

IPL 2026: MI struggle to 48/2 after powerplay vs PBKS; Suryakumar Yadav out for a duck

Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first against the Mumbai Indians. MI and PBKS are facing off at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

IPL 2026: PBKS opt to bowl first against MI; Rohit ruled out due to injury

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