Mayank Rawat (IANS photo) Five-time champions Mumbai Indians slumped to their fourth consecutive defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League on Thursday, continuing a worrying slide that has left them languishing in ninth place in the 10-team IPL 2026 standings. Despite a competitive 195/6, fueled by a sensational unbeaten 112 from Quinton de Kock, MI were comprehensively outplayed as the Punjab Kings chased down the target in just 16.3 overs to seal victory by seven wickets.The defeat underscored growing concerns in the Hardik Pandya-led camp, with nothing going well this season. After a 14-year streak by winning their opening match, MI managed just one win in five matches. Even spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been struggling and so far without a wicket – his longest streak in T20 cricket.
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Mahela Jayawardene on bad bowling, combinations and team issues However, amidst the gloom, a new name has quietly entered the MI playing XI – Mayank Rawat.A debut that barely made wavesAt the toss, Pandya casually mentioned the inclusion: “We have a debutant, Mayank Rawat.” Still, the announcement barely registered amid larger topics, including the absence of Rohit Sharma and de Kock, who opened the innings.Rawat’s debut turned out to be as low-key as the announcement. The 26-year-old came on during the final over following Tilak Varma’s dismissal but did not face a single ball and ended up on 0 not out. The right-armer was not even called with the ball outside the corkscrew as Punjab raced to victory with 21 balls to spare.It was a debut without a single moment — rare in a league known for stories with immediate impact.Story by Mayank RawatFor Rawat, however, the journey to this point was anything but uneventful. The 26-year-old New Delhi all-rounder Rawat got his chance after New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner missed out due to illness.A product of the Delhi cricket system, Rawat has been steadily climbing the ranks and catching the eye of MI scouts with consistent performances in the domestic circuit, especially in the Delhi Premier League. When he was picked at his base price of Rs 30 crore in the auction, he suddenly found himself sharing a dressing room with stars like de Kock, Rohit, Suryakumar Yadav and Afghanistan spinner AM Ghazanfar.
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Should MI give more chances to young players like Mayank Rawat?
Rawat’s cricketing roots date back to 2011 when he started training under coach Rajesh Nagar. The promising talent soon grabbed the headlines in age-group cricket with knocks of 220 and 244, but consistent opportunities eluded him. What followed were years of fluctuating form and limited chances that tested his endurance.His resurgence has come on the back of strong domestic performances where he has honed his all-round game and forced the selectors to take notice.Thursday may not have given Rawat a moment to remember, but it marked the culmination of years of perseverance.
