Mumbai Indians find themselves in troubled waters ahead of their IPL 2026 clash against Punjab Kings on April 16 at the Wankhede Stadium, as a potential injury setback to star opener Rohit Sharma adds to the five-time champions’ mounting woes.
The 38-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during the Mumbai Indians’ match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday, April 12, as the Hardik Pandya-led side fell to an 18-run defeat, their third loss in a row.
Rohit walked off, retired hurt in the sixth over of MI’s chase of 241, having contributed 19 off 13 balls. Despite a solid start alongside Ryan Rickelton, his exit proved a turning point, and even Sherfane Rutherford’s blistering 71 off 31 could not rescue the chase.
Rohit was notably absent from the Mumbai Indians’ net session on Tuesday, further casting doubt over his availability for the upcoming Punjab Kings fixture. Reports suggest that scan results will determine the exact severity of the injury and whether he will be fit to feature on Thursday.
Hamstring injuries can range from minor tightness that settles in a day or two to partial muscle tears requiring two to four weeks of recovery. At 38, Rohit’s body takes longer to heal from soft-tissue injuries, and MI is expected to be cautious about rushing him back.
The MI camp has remained tight-lipped about the severity of the injury. Teammate Sherfane Rutherford said he wasn’t entirely sure about the details but suspected a hamstring issue, adding that he couldn’t say for certain as he was in the dugout during the incident.
Across four games this season, Rohit has contributed scores of 78, 35, 5, and 19*, and his absence would be a significant blow to the side, which currently sits eighth on the points table with just two points from four matches.
With the season threatening to slip away, the Mumbai Indians will be desperately hoping their talisman recovers in time, or that the rest of the squad can rise to the occasion against an in-form Punjab Kings outfit.
