IPL 2026 | Match 24: MI vs PBKS | Preview and Predictions

The Mumbai Indians will want to get out of this losing rut as quickly as possible as they face a supremely confident and unbeaten Punjab Kings side in a game that holds huge significance for the five-time Indian Premier League champions.

For Match 24 of the 2026 IPL season, here we present our preview and predictions.

Indian Premier League 2026 | Match 24: Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings | 19:30 IST, 16 April 2026

MI are floundering, with every passing game posing to them a new problem that they do not seem to have an answer for. In their latest defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, their bowling unit was once again put to the sword, with Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, and Mayank Markande all being put under the cosh. The biggest problem for them, however, is the fact that Jasprit Bumrah has now gone four games without a wicket, despite his brilliant economy rate. 

Their batting also seems to be in a bit of a funk, an issue exacerbated by the fact that Rohit Sharma might not be available for a while depending on the severity of the hamstring issue that led to him walking off retired hurt last time out. Ryan Rickelton has not been able to make the most of his fast starts, while Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav seem to be going through a post-T20 World Cup hangover. Captain Hardik Pandya’s only solution with the bat is to hit his way out of any situation. Sherfane Rutherford has shaped up to be MI’s best batter, yet he is being sent in to bat a little too low down the order to have a pronounced impact on the game.

For a side that used to pride itself on making smart moves and smart squad-building decisions, it is quite a sorry sight seeing MI flummoxed and clueless about what their best XI should be, and that is something that you wouldn’t even think about saying for the five-time champions a couple of years ago.

The Punjab Kings, on the other hand, are on an absolute heater. They are the only unbeaten side in the tournament now, and on the face of it, they look like a side that will take some stopping.

Every problem MI are facing, PBKS have a definitive answer for. Openers? Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya are giving them fast and ferocious starts. Middle order? Shreyas Iyer, Cooper Connolly, Marcus Stoinis, and Shashank Singh provide a wide array of depth and options based on the situation. Bowling? Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Xavier Bartlett are all chipping in with handy contributions.

The Kings have a settled squad that looks in brilliant rhythm, and they are fresh off a victory where they rather comfortably chased a 220-run target with an over to spare. They seem to be a team who want to go all the way this time, having fallen at the final hurdle last time around.

The last time these two sides met was in last season’s Qualifier 2, where the Punjab Kings beat the Mumbai Indians courtesy of a peerless knock from their skipper Shreyas Iyer. PBKS will once again look to their captain, but they know that they have enough firepower in their ranks in case Iyer has an off day.

MI need a win to stay afloat in a points table that is already taking shape and separating the leaders from the chasers. The Kings are part of the leaders’ side of the equation, and they will definitely want to stay in there as long as possible.

It goes without saying that the Punjab Kings start as overwhelming favourites in this contest. They are the form team, and given MI have not yet found their bearings, the record IPL champions may be in for another long evening.

Fantasy XI: Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Shreyas Iyer (c), Sherfane Rutherford, Hardik Pandya, Marcus Stoinis, Shashank Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal

Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Winners Prediction: Punjab Kings