MI vs PBKS IPL 2026: Quinton de Kock Becomes The Second Wicket-Keeper Batsman With Most Half-Centuries

MI vs PBKS: Mumbai Indians produced a commanding batting display against Punjab Kings, powered by a fluent partnership between Quinton de Kock and Naman Dhir that turned the game firmly in their favour.

Mumbai's innings began on a cautious note as Arshdeep Singh struck early. After conceding just one run in the opening over, he removed Ryan Rickelton and Suryakumar Yadav off consecutive deliveries, giving Punjab Kings early control.

However, the turning point came when Yuzvendra Chahal dropped a straightforward catch to hand Naman Dhir a crucial reprieve. De Kock also survived a run-out scare after Shreyas Iyer missed a direct hit, allowing Mumbai to rebuild. Arshdeep, meanwhile, achieved a milestone by becoming the first PBKS bowler to claim 100 IPL wickets, surpassing Piyush Chawla.

MI vs PBKS: Most 50-plus scores by a designated WK in IPL

• 31 - KL Rahul
• 25 - Quinton de Kock*
• 24 - MS Dhoni
• 21 - Dinesh Karthik
• 21 - Rishabh Pant
• 20 - Sanju Samson

MI vs PBKS: De Kock, Dhir Take Charge

The middle overs saw a complete shift in momentum as De Kock and Dhir dominated the Punjab attack. Mumbai piled on 84 runs between overs 7 and 13 without losing a wicket.

De Kock, playing his first match of the season, smashed a rapid 28-ball fifty and moved to 25 fifty-plus scores in IPL as a designated wicketkeeper, second only to KL Rahul (31), and ahead of MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik.

Dhir provided excellent support, rotating strike, and punishing loose deliveries as the duo built a strong platform.

Record Stand and PBKS Struggles

The pair stitched together a match-defining 122-run partnership, the second-highest for the Mumbai Indians against the Punjab Kings after the 137-run stand by Parthiv Patel and Ambati Rayudu in 2016.

Punjab Kings' bowlers struggled to contain the flow of runs. Chahal endured a tough outing, conceding 45 runs in three overs, while Bartlett and Vyshak also leaked runs.

In the end, Mumbai's recovery after early setbacks and the dominance of the De Kock-Dhir partnership firmly put them in control, leaving Punjab Kings searching for answers.