Five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champion Mumbai Indians (MI) has suffered a major setback before the opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians (MI) will take on Ajinkya Rahane-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Sunday, March 29, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Double blow to Mumbai Indians! Mitchell Santner, Will Jacques out of IPL 2026 matches
Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mahela Jayawardene addressed a press conference ahead of the start of the season, where he gave a surprise update on Mitchell Santner and Will Jacks.
Mahela Jayawardene said English all-rounder Will Jacks and New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner had requested for a long break before joining the team and they have been given the green signal.
“Will Jacques and Mitchell Santner had asked for an extended break and we have given it to them… I can’t give you a time frame as to when they will join us,” the MI head coach said.
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Probably one of the best all-rounders in white-ball cricket – Mumbai Indians head coach on Hardik Pandya
Speaking on MI discussion, Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mahela Jayawardene was all praise for captain Hardik Pandya and talked about his journey in cricket. He elaborated (as quoted by Mumbai Indians (MI)):
“The first time I met Hardik was in 2017. Hardik has young, raw talent with a lot of energy and that’s something I’ve admired. With that energy of playing the game even today, he’s something special. He’s quite passionate about the game of cricket, talks about it a lot. I’ve been with MI for eight years and when it comes to leadership, maturity on the field and how he’s developed, it’s been amazing to see his growth, maybe he’s the best in white-ball cricket. One of the best all-rounders.”
“When he started, we had to pull him back a little bit because he was like a power house with the bat, the ball and on the field. Young Hardik had a great work ethic at that time.”
“The injuries he suffered later had a very bad effect on his body because he was also playing Test cricket. There was a lot of workload to manage. Now he understands this and we have a structured way of handling his workload. It is important to manage a player once he reaches that important stage in his career. His skill work and work ethic is still fantastic today… working on his fitness during training, during the season and beyond. It is good to see how he has grown as a person and a player. How have they evolved in form?
Having so many good choices is a healthy headache – Mahela Jayawardene
Mumbai Indians (MI) are considered to be slow starters as they have lost most of their opening matches in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
This time, they will be keen to change things up and talking about the team combination, MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene said that having too many good players is a healthy headache. He elaborated:
“It’s a healthy headache to have so many good options. We play different opposition, conditions… Once we play in Mumbai, we have 2 matches in a row. We will need those options; the depth of the team is something that is very important for various reasons. It could be injuries or different circumstances… It is something we always think about.
“Having experience on the bench helps. Sometimes it’s difficult given that we have amazing players sitting there, but that’s what it is. That’s part of franchise cricket. Our job is to create an environment where everyone is happy and everyone plays for that one goal, which is for the team.”