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The win keeps Punjab Kings unbeaten and full of confidence as they climb higher to the top of the IPL 2026 standings. For the Mumbai Indians, the defeat adds more pressure.
MI vs PBKS match highlights(AFP)Punjab Kings (PBKS) continued their unbeaten run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 with a commanding seven-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium. Chasing 196, PBKS reached the target in just 16.3 overs, powered by explosive batting from Prabhsimran Singh and skipper Shreyas Iyer. Despite a brilliant unbeaten century from Quinton de Kock, MI suffered their fourth loss of the season and remain stuck at the bottom half of the points table.
Quinton de Kock's remarkable century rescues MI from early collapse
Mumbai Indians got off to a shaky start after Punjab Kings won the toss and elected to field. Ryan Rickelton and Suryakumar Yadav lost their wickets early, leaving MI reeling at 12/2 after 2.2 overs. The home team looked in deep trouble until Quinton de Kock, who replaced injured Rohit Sharma as an opener, and Naman Dhir turned the innings around with a strong partnership.
De Kock, playing his first game after Rohit’s injury, unleashed a fiery knock. The South African wicketkeeper-batter smashed an unbeaten 112 off just 60 balls, including 8 fours and 7 sixes. He brought up his third IPL century in 53 deliveries, showing perfect timing and power on both sides of the wicket. Naman Dhir supported him well with a quick 50 off 31 balls.
Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the bowlers for PBKS, finishing with impressive figures of 3/22 in 4 overs with an economy rate of 5.50. His early breakthroughs and death-over control restricted Mumbai to 195/6 despite de Kock’s heroics. The total looked competitive on a high-scoring Wankhede pitch, but PBKS made light work of it.
Shreyas Iyer's spectacular catch steals the show
While Quinton de Kock’s batting stole headlines, Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer also produced a moment of magic in the field that left everyone stunned. Fielding on the boundary, Iyer pulled off what many are calling one of the best catches of IPL 2026.
When Hardik Pandya tried to clear the ropes, Iyer sprinted to his left near the boundary. Realising he was about to step over, he took the catch in a reverse cup, tossed the ball up in the air while airborne, and Xavier Bartlett completed the relay catch, leading to MI skipper's dismissal. The crowd and even MI players, including Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, reacted in disbelief at the athletic effort.
This brilliant catch dismissed Hardik for 14(12) and halted Mumbai’s momentum at a crucial stage. It perfectly summed up PBKS’s sharp fielding and helped them stay ahead in the contest.
Prabhsimran and Iyer seal an easy chase for Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings’ chase was brilliant. Prabhsimran Singh remained unbeaten on 80 off 39 balls, while Shreyas Iyer scored a quick 66 off 35 deliveries. Their partnership completely took the game away from the Mumbai Indians.
Allah Ghazanfar picked up two wickets for MI, but the bowling attack struggled to contain the aggressive PBKS batters on a flat track. Punjab Kings overhauled the target with 21 balls to spare, maintaining their strong position at the top of the IPL 2026 table.
Impact on the IPL 2026 points table
The win keeps Punjab Kings unbeaten and full of confidence as they climb higher to the top of the IPL 2026 standings. They have 9 points and a strong NRR of +1.067
For the Mumbai Indians, the defeat adds more pressure. They are struggling at the ninth position 9 with just two points and an NRR of -1.076.
About the Author
Aachal Maniyar
Aachal Maniyar is a Senior Content Producer at LiveMint, where she covers US sports with a focus on major leagues, marquee events, and athlete-driven stories, while also reporting extensively on cricket and global sports. With over five years of first-hand journalism experience, she combines sharp editorial judgment with real-time sports storytelling across platforms. <br><br> Her reporting journey spans leading newsrooms including Thomson Reuters, India TV, BTVI, ET NOW, and CNBC TV18, where she has worked across breaking news, live match coverage, feature writing, interviews, video scripting, and anchoring. This multi-platform exposure has shaped her ability to deliver context-rich sports and business journalism tailored for both television and digital audiences. <br><br> Aachal has conducted and produced exclusive interviews with athletes and public figures such as India cricketer Dhruv Jurel, Indian women’s hockey captain Savita Punia, and industrialist Ratan Tata, along with several emerging and established sports personalities. Her body of work includes in-depth explainers, athlete profiles, emotionally resonant fan narratives, and data-backed match analysis across cricket, Olympic sports, and international competitions. <br><br> She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and believes in reporting that is grounded in accuracy, clarity, and credibility. Her philosophy is simple: sports journalism should go beyond scores and statistics, capturing the human stories, pressure moments, and decisions that shape the game and the people who play it.
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