Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians LIVE Score, IPL 2026: MI's New Captain Opts To Bowl, Face Major Selection Blows vs PBKS

Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh were named in the India A squad earlier today, but they'll hope to give PBKS a fast start once again. It is very crucial for the hosts that both of them fire tonight, as they aim to end their four-game losing streak.

Mumbai Indians win the toss and opt to bowl! Jasprit Bumrah wins his the toss in his first game as a captain in the IPL. 2 changes for MI. Major blow for them as not only Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, but also star spinner Allah Ghazanfar is injured.

We are just about 10 minutes away from toss time at Dharamsala. It will be very interesting to see if Jasprit Bumrah definitely is the captain, and what he chooses to do if he wins the toss. Will MI make some bold calls with their playing XI, given the absence of Hardik and Suryakumar and their elimination from the playoffs race?

Not only bowling, but fielding issues have also plagued Punjab Kings in IPL 2026. Shashank Singh has been at the centre of a number of dropped catches, but the rest of the team hasn't been up to the mark either.

Jasprit Bumrah is set to make his captaincy debut in the IPL. Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav have all led MI in the past, but never the pace spearhead. Bumrah is undergoing a poor season, so will captaincy add to his pressure or give a new dimension to his game tonight?

Remember, Bumrah has captained India in 3 Tests in the past, winning 1 and losing 2.

JUST IN: Jasprit Bumrah is set to captain Mumbai Indians tonight, in the absence of regular skipper Hardik Pandya and vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav, according to Cricbuzz. Rohit Sharma and Tilak Varma have been overlooked.

Both Hardik and SKY are going to miss the game, as per the report.

Punjab Kings were breaking records and flying high in the first half of the season. However, their campaign has been derailed in spectacular style. The major worry has been bowling, with PBKS conceding 200+ in 3 of their last 4 games.

Mumbai Indians could look a number of ways in electing a stand-in skipper for today's game. Jasprit Bumrah is an experienced option, while Tilak Varma could take the responsibility too with an eye to the future. MI could also fall back on Rohit Sharma, who has led them to 5 titles in the past.

In an interesting turn of events, we could see a new captain for Mumbai Indians today, according to a report by Cricbuzz. Captain Hardik Pandya and vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav are both set to miss the match. Hardik is suffering from a back spasm, while SKY could miss the game after the recent birth of his daughter.

According to reports, tickets have been booked for both Hardik and SKY to make it to Dharamsala, but there's no clarity as yet on either arriving.

After not losing any of their first 7 matches, Punjab Kings have now lost 4 in a row, and slipped from first to fourth in the IPL 2026 points table. Shreyas Iyer's side would be desperate to arrest this slump before it gets to late.

According to AccuWeather, there is a 47% chance of rain in Dharamsala between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM IST, which is the hour before toss time. An Orange Alert has also been issued in the city. However, the good news is that there is a 0% chance of rain after 7 PM.

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the IPL 2026 encounter between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Mumbai Indians (MI). We are at the picturesque venue of Dharamsala today, but the weather report isn't encouraging.

Stay tuned to NDTV Sports for all the live updates from the match.

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