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With their playoff hopes already over, Mumbai Indians will aim to play spoilsport when they face a struggling Punjab Kings in a crucial IPL 2026 encounter at Dharamsala’s HPCA Stadium on Thursday.

Punjab, last season’s runners-up, began the tournament strongly but have since suffered a dramatic dip in form, losing four matches on the trot. Off-field chatter has only added to their woes, and the Ricky Ponting-coached side will be keen to regroup, particularly addressing concerns in bowling and fielding.

Meanwhile, Mumbai, currently languishing near the bottom of the table, are out of playoff contention and will play purely for pride. With no qualification pressure, they may use the remaining fixtures to test their bench strength, especially amid uncertainty over the availability of captain Hardik Pandya and stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav.

Punjab have 13 points from 12 matches but have faltered in key moments—failing to defend 222 against Rajasthan Royals, getting bowled out for 163 versus Gujarat Titans, falling short in a 236 chase against Sunrisers Hyderabad, and most recently losing despite posting 210 against Delhi Capitals.

A key battle could unfold in the powerplay, where PBKS openers Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya will be tested by MI spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, whose precision and bounce could prove decisive on the Dharamsala surface.

Captain Shreyas Iyer remains central to Punjab’s middle order, while Marcus Stoinis has been a key finisher. However, inconsistency from players like Shashank Singh and poor fielding—highlighted by 16 dropped catches this season—have hurt their campaign.

On the bowling front, Arshdeep Singh has picked up wickets but struggled with economy, and the absence of Vijaykumar Vyshak in the previous game weakened their death-bowling options alongside Marco Jansen.

For Mumbai, Ryan Rickelton has been a bright spot with 382 runs at a brisk strike rate, while Bumrah continues to lead the attack. With Hardik and Suryakumar likely unavailable, leadership duties could fall to Tilak Varma or even former captain Rohit Sharma, who has regained form at the top.

PBKS will also keep an eye on Yuzvendra Chahal, who could be crucial if fit, given his strong record against MI’s middle order. However, his availability remains uncertain due to a reported shoulder issue.

Dharamsala has favoured high-scoring games this season, with an average first-innings total of over 200 since 2023. Teams batting first have enjoyed greater success, and with dew unlikely, the toss could once again play a key role.

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya, who has missed MI’s last two matches due to a back spasm, recently returned to training but is still unlikely to feature. Suryakumar Yadav, who recently became a father, is also away from the squad, leaving MI to reshuffle their lineup ahead of the contest.