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

Mumbai Indians will want to get out of this losing run as quickly as possible as they face a supremely confident and an unbeaten Punjab Kings in a game that holds huge significance for the 5-time champions as they desperately seek to get back to winning ways in Match Number 24 of the 2026 IPL Season.

Here is the Preview and Prediction for the game.

IPL 2026 | Match 24: Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings | 19:30, 16 April

Mumbai Indians are floundering, with every passing game posing them a new problem that they do not seem to have an answer to. In their latest defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the bowling 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 4 games without a wicket, despite his brilliant economy rate. 

The batting also seems to be in a bit of a funk, which is exacerbated by the fact that Rohit Sharma might not be available for a while depending on the severity of his hamstring issue that led to him being retired hurt. Ryan Rickelton has not been able to make the most of his fast starts. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav seem to be in their post-T20 World Cup hangover. Hardik Pandya’s only solution with bat is to hit his way out of any situation. Sherfane Rutherford has shaped up to be MI’s best batsman, yet he is sent in to bat a little too low for him to make 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 them flummoxed and clueless about what their best 11 should be, and that is something that you would not even think about saying for the 5-time champs a couple of years ago.

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

Every problem that MI faces, Punjab is the complete opposite of it. 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 have all chipped in with handy contributions.

Punjab have a settled side, their side 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 after falling short on the final hurdle last time around.

The last time these two sides met was in Qualifier 2 of the 2025 IPL season, where 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 do know that they have enough firepower in their ranks on the assumption that their skipper has an off day.

MI need a win to stay afloat in a points table that has already shown a clear pattern of the leaders and the chasers. Punjab is a part of the “leaders” category 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 against an MI side that has not yet found their bearings, it could be a very long evening’s work for the Men in Blue.

Fantasy 11: 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.