Mumbai Indians (MI) have suffered a major setback as their talismanic opener Rohit Sharma is set to miss at least the next two matches of the ongoing IPL 2026 season following a hamstring injury. The 38-year-old suffered a knock during MI’s high-profile defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Wankhede Stadium on April 12, forcing him to retire early from the chase.
Rohit skipped MI’s recent clean sheet, raising immediate concerns ahead of the crucial home clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 16 at the Wankhede Stadium. He was spotted jogging and testing his hamstring during practice, but the franchise is playing it safe.
Rohit Sharma injury update and recovery timetable
Rohit Sharma, a key part of the Mumbai Indians batting line-up, injured his hamstring while batting against RCB. The scans reportedly showed no major cracks, which offers some relief, but the team is taking a cautious approach. Hardik Pandya gave the latest update and made it clear, “Rohit is out of the last game. He will wait for a few matches to see where exactly he is.”
This absence comes at a critical time for MI, who have struggled to find consistency after their opening win against Kolkata Knight Riders. Without their experienced leader at the top, the batting order relies heavily on Ryan Rickelton, Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav to make big starts.
Mumbai Indians playing XI
Along with Rohit Sharma, Mitchell Santner is ruled out due to illness. “Mitchell is also sick. Mitchell Santner is also not available. So yes, we have a few changes,” commented Hardik Pandya during the toss.
Mumbai Indians made the necessary adjustments. Quinton de Kock returns behind the stumps while young all-rounder Mayank Rawat earns his IPL debut.
Mumbai Indians Playing XI: Quinton de Kock (w), Ryan Rickelton, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Sherfane Rutherford, Naman Dhir, Mayank Rawat, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah.
MI Impact Subs: AM Ghazanfar, Corbin Bosch, Raj Bawa, Robin Minz, Ashwani Kumar
