IPL 2026: Prabhsimran Singh-Shreyas Iyer's special dampens Quinton De Kock's ton as PBKS rout MI by 7 wickets

Punjab Kings (PBKS) rode on Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas Iyer's phenomenal fifties to bulldoze Mumbai Indians (MI) by seven wickets in their IPL 2026 clash at the Wankhede stadium on April 16. With this PBKS rocketed to top of the points table with four wins in five matches.

PBKS annihilate MI by 7 wickets

Batting first MI posted a big total of 195/6, thanks to Quinton de Kock's blistering century. In reply, Shreyas (66) and Prabhsimran (80) combined to take PBKS past finishing line with 21 balls to spare.

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Shreyas-Prabhsimran steer PBKS' heroic chase

Punjab's run chase began on an explosive note, capitalizing on a wayward opening over from Deepak Chahar. Openers Prabhsimran and Priyansh Arya wasted no time in attacking the veteran seamer, who has struggled significantly this season. Chahar's recent form has been a cause for concern for the Mumbai Indians, especially after leaking 43 runs in his previous two overs of work. In an attempt to regain control, captain Hardik Pandya rolled the dice by introducing Jasprit Bumrah as early as the second over, though the opening pair managed to navigate his threat safely.

The introduction of Allah Ghazanfar in the third over provided the breakthrough Mumbai desperately needed. Ghazanfar’s disciplined line gave Priyansh Arya no room to operate, eventually leading to his dismissal for a quickfire 15 off nine deliveries. However, the momentum shifted again in the fourth over when Jasprit Bumrah uncharacteristically dropped a difficult half-chance off the bat of Prabhsimran Singh. This error proved costly as Cooper Connolly immediately punished Mumbai, smashing two sixes and a boundary before Ghazanfar struck again to remove him.

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Despite the loss of partners, Prabhsimran remained undeterred and continued to haunt Deepak Chahar, taking him apart with another series of boundaries to keep the required run rate well under control. Displaying remarkable confidence, Prabhsimran toyed with the bowling attack to reach a blistering half-century in just 24 balls. With the steady guidance of his captain, Shreyas Iyer, at the other end, he ensured that the Punjab Kings remained in a dominant position throughout the early stages of the chase. The chase was eventually wrapped up with 21 balls to spare.

Quinton de Kock's towering ton in vain

Earlier, a powerful, unbeaten century from De Kock and a resilient 50 from Naman Dhir rescued MI from a precarious position, guiding them to a total of 195/6. De Kock, who had been on the sidelines for the start of the season, stepped in for the injured Rohit Sharma and orchestrated a brilliant recovery after Mumbai had collapsed to a dire 15/2 within the first three overs.

The veteran South African was in peak form, striking 112 off just 60 balls, including eight boundaries and seven sixes. This marked his first IPL century since 2022, characterized by heavy hitting on the leg-side and clinical timing through the off-side. His innings provided the much-needed stability and aggression required to push back against a disciplined Punjab bowling attack.

Earlier, Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh had Mumbai in significant trouble, finishing with impressive figures of 3/22. He utilized sharp swing and precise lengths to dismiss Ryan Rickelton for 2 and then stunned Suryakumar Yadav for a golden duck. With the top order crumbling and Tilak Varma struggling for rhythm, the MI management took a calculated risk by promoting Naman Dhir to number four—a move that ultimately paid off.

Dhir’s innings was a mix of grit and fortune; he was dropped on 10 by Yuzvendra Chahal and survived a near-miss run-out involving de Kock. Despite a slow powerplay score of 48/2, the duo successfully stabilized the innings with a massive 132-run third-wicket partnership. Dhir played the supporting role perfectly, contributing three sixes and three fours before falling shortly after reaching his half-century.

The innings lost some momentum toward the end, as the middle order struggled to maintain a scoring rate above 10 runs per over. A major highlight of the closing stages was a spectacular relay catch involving Iyer and Xavier Bartlett. Iyer intercepted a certain six from Hardik Pandya while airborne over the boundary, tossing the ball back to Bartlett to complete one of the most athletic dismissals of the season.

PBKS will next face Lucknow Super Giants on April 19, while MI will take on Gujarat Titans on April 20.