IPL 2026: MI vs PBKS , Match 24 - Top player battles to watch out for

In a battle between two teams in contrasting forms, the Mumbai Indians (MI) take on the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Match 24 of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, April 16.

MI will be looking to taste victory after suffering three defeats on the trot. The five-time champions’ most recent loss came against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on home soil, where they fell 18 runs short of the target. Hardik Pandya’s side are currently ninth in the standings, with only a winless Kolkata Knight Riders side behind them in the table.

PBKS, on the other hand, remain the only unbeaten side left in the 2026 IPL. The 2025 finalists have won three out of the four matches and had a game rained off at the Eden Gardens. Shreyas Iyer’s side come into the game on the back of a six-wicket win over the Sunrisers Hyderabad. 

PBKS’ in-form batters and bowlers face an MI side struggling with confidence. The 2020 champions, however, have one of the strongest squads on paper, which one should never write off. Some of the player match-ups in the upcoming fixture are a mouthwatering prospect for cricket fans across the world. 

Here are 3 player battles for MI vs PBKS, Match 24 of IPL 2026:

3. Shreyas Iyer vs Mitchell Santner

Shreyas Iyer (Source: IPL/BCCI)

After usually getting a quick start from the PBKS openers, Shreyas Iyer is usually the one who takes care of the scoring in the middle overs, where he will most likely have a face-off against New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner.

The duo have faced each other in just three innings in the IPL, with Santner failing to get the better of Indian batter even once. Iyer, on the other hand, has scored 20 runs at a strike-rate of 133.33.