Quinton de Kock and MS Dhoni NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians fire Quinton de Kock in stunning fashion after five years as opener for Mumbai Indians as they boosted Rohit Sharma in their IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings on Thursday.With Rohit ruled out with a hamstring injury, MI changed the batting order and promoted De Kock to the top, a role he would last hold in the 2021 season. This move paid off immediately. The left-hander looked completely in control, scoring a fluent half-century off just 28 balls and anchoring the innings early on.
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Jitesh Sharma reveals RCB’s batting mindsetDuring his knock, De Kock also achieved a significant milestone. His 25th IPL 50 as a designated wicketkeeper-batsman was surpassed by MS Dhoni (24 fifties), making him second on the all-time list behind KL Rahul.
Most scores over 50 by a designated WK in the IPL
- 31 – KL Rahul
- 25 – Quinton de Kock*
- 24 – MS Dhoni
- 21 – Dinesh Karthik
- 21 – Rishabh Pant
- 20 – Sanju Samson
The landmark came with a calm single from Yuzvendra Chahal as he raised his bat to acknowledge the crowd.The innings was crucial for Mumbai, who were already struggling with disruption. Rohit’s absence saw a loss of leadership and batting at the top, while Mitchell Santner was also unavailable due to illness. Captain Hardik Pandya confirmed before the match that Rohit would miss “a couple of matches”, forcing the team to reassess the combinations.De Kock’s composed batting not only stabilized the innings but also underlined his value as a flexible top-order batsman. In a high-pressure situation, his experience has ensured that MI do not lose their early momentum even as the team continues to navigate key absences in IPL 2026.
