Ravichandran Ashwin has once again drawn attention to a rules issue in cricket, after it resurfaced during the Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians IPL 2026 match at Dharamsala on Thursday. In the final delivery of Punjab’s innings, Vishnu Vinod went for a scoop against Jasprit Bumrah but missed the ball; it struck him on the pad. As the batter attempted to pinch a run, the on-field umpire raised a finger after an LBW appeal. Vinod reviewed immediately and the decision was overturned. Ashwin’s concern was what happened next: Punjab were unable to take the “leg-bye” run because the ball is considered dead once the umpire’s verdict is given.
Ashwin calls for a quick fix to the leg-bye rule
Ashwin posted on X that the outcome effectively cost Punjab a run and argued the playing condition should be changed without delay. He also compared the situation to IPL’s “Impact Sub” concept, suggesting that DRS reversals should be incorporated in the league even if the wider governing body moves slowly on adoption.
- Ashwin said the mistaken call cost Punjab a run and urged an urgent adjustment to the rule.
- He argued that if “Impact Sub” is already part of IPL regulations, DRS reversals should also be introduced into IPL even if the ICC delays broader implementation.
Punjab Kings’ chase ends in defeat as Mumbai Indians win by six wickets
On the field, Punjab Kings suffered their fifth consecutive loss, dealing a major blow to their playoff hopes. Mumbai Indians, in a high-pressure contest, cruised to victory by six wickets. The win was powered by Shardul Thakur’s four-wicket haul and a composed, match-defining knock from Tilak Varma, who struck 75 not out.
Punjab’s batting: powerplay momentum, late surge to 200 for 8
Batting first, Punjab built the foundation through Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya. Prabhsimran scored 57 as he and Arya put on a 33-ball, 50-run opening partnership. That early momentum carried them to 55 for 1 in the Powerplay. They then added another 57 runs with Cooper Connolly to push past the 100-run mark by the 12th over.
Shardul struck to restore some balance, finishing with figures of 4/39 after a burst of wickets that pulled Mumbai back into the game. Still, Punjab managed to manufacture another push late in the innings, scoring 53 runs in the final three overs to set a demanding target of 200 for 8.
- Prabhsimran Singh: 57; opening stand of 50 (33 balls) with Priyansh Arya (27).
- PBKS reached 55/1 in the Powerplay and crossed 100 in the 12th over with a 57-run partnership with Cooper Connolly.
- Shardul Thakur took 4/39 to bring Mumbai back, but Punjab finished strongly with 53 runs in the last three overs.
- Punjab posted 200/8.
Mumbai’s chase: Rickelton’s start, Varma’s finishing touch
Chasing the total, Ryan Rickelton gave Mumbai a fast start, taking the side to 59 without loss with a near solo acceleration. Rohit Sharma contributed 25, though it was a scratchier effort compared to the momentum provided by the opener.
Punjab then fought back, taking three wickets for 57 runs between the seventh and 13th overs. However, Tilak Varma held the innings together and then switched gears to complete the job. He remained unbeaten on 75 off 33 balls, first knitting together a 61-run partnership from 42 deliveries with Sherfane Rutherford (20), and later combining with Will Jacks to guide Mumbai home in 19.5 overs.
- Rickelton surged Mumbai to 59/0; Rohit made 25.
- PBKS fought back with three wickets during the 7th to 13th overs.
- Tilak Varma: 75* off 33; 61-run stand (42 balls) with Rutherford, then a finishing partnership with Will Jacks.
- Mumbai reached the target in 19.5 overs to win by six wickets.
Defending 200: Arshdeep’s early spells and Rickelton’s explosive batting
Punjab tried to defend the 200-run target with Arshdeep Singh delivering two excellent overs in the Powerplay, conceding just eight runs. Yet the other end didn’t match the same impact, and Rickelton attacked the bowlers—hitting four boundaries and four sixes during a blistering 23-ball 48.
Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer used his seam options in the Powerplay, but Rickelton struck a six off Azmatullah Omarzai before driving through more pressure on Marco Jansen and Xavier Bartlett.
Key wickets and the turning over-sets
Azmatullah eventually broke the opening momentum by removing Rickelton, while Jansen also dismissed Naman Dhir (9). Yuzvendra Chahal then offered a brief tightening spell, first restricting Rohit and later helping engineer a collapse as Mumbai slipped to 89 for 3.
Tilak and Rutherford steadied the innings and then started to press again, targeting Azmatullah with a 13-run over to relieve pressure. Arshdeep almost struck again when Tilak mistimed a skier, but Jansen couldn’t take a difficult chance. With 72 required off the last five overs, Punjab brought Chahal back into the attack, only for Tilak and Rutherford to counterpunch strongly, taking 20 runs off his leg-spin.
Azmatullah dismissed Rutherford in the 17th over, but Tilak didn’t lose his rhythm. He smashed Jansen for two sixes and a four in the 18th over as Mumbai’s chase swung firmly in their favour. With 15 needed from the final six balls, Tilak cleared the ropes twice to finish the chase.
Earlier innings details: MI’s early wicket and Punjab’s mid-innings collapse
In the opening phase of Mumbai’s innings, Deepak Chahar (2/36) struck first by dismissing Arya in the fifth over. There was also a moment involving the stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah, who was unlucky not to make an earlier impact after Naman Dhir dropped a straightforward chance off a thick edge in the second over.
Prabhsimran then punished the visitors with a slog-sweep for two sixes off Raghu, before launching Corbin Bosch (1/42) for another maximum. He completed his fifty by taking a single and then followed it with a six off Shardul over backward square leg.
But momentum swung sharply once Shardul, who had conceded 15 in his opening over, struck twice in three balls. He removed the well-set Prabhsimran and then dismissed Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer for 4, leaving the batting order in trouble.
Raj Bawa (1/11) extended the collapse by getting Connolly out, before grabbing a sharp catch at short mid-wicket to dismiss Suryansh Shedge off Shardul. Shashank Singh and Marco Jansen also fell cheaply, pushing Punjab into deeper trouble.
Late counterattack: Azmatullah’s death-overs burst and Punjab’s 200th mark
Azmatullah Omarzai led Punjab’s recovery in the death overs with a 17-ball 38, featuring two sixes and a four. Vishnu Vinod and Xavier Bartlett then added valuable late runs as Punjab crossed the 200-run mark for the eighth time this season.
