Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur were left out from the playing XI, and Mumbai Indians made it count as they returned to winning form in the IPL 2026 on Monday. MI beat the Gujarat Titans by 99 runs, a result that came after a reshuffle in the squad for the Ahmedabad contest.
With Chahar and Thakur on the bench, Mumbai brought in Ashwani Kumar and Krish Bhagat. Ashwani starred with the ball for MI, finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the match by claiming 4 wickets while conceding only 24 runs in Ahmedabad. Bhagat, meanwhile, kept things tight in his spell, giving away just 10 runs across 2 overs.
As Mumbai regained momentum, former India batter Krishnamachari Srikkanth added his voice to the discussion around the duo. He urged Shardul and Chahar “to not come out again,” a blunt message delivered in keeping with his outspoken style. Srikkanth had previously advised the MI management to pay Shardul and Chahar and then send them back, and this latest reaction followed the decision to bench them for the match.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth said, “Thank God, they sent both Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar to the shed.” He went on to remark that, at this stage, he believed MI would be telling them, “You both just go take your seats in the shed and do not come out again,” using his trademark humour to underline the point.
The win also highlighted a more proactive approach from Mumbai in their match planning, including the decision to deploy Jasprit Bumrah during the powerplay. Bumrah made an immediate impact, striking early by removing Sai Sudharsan on the first ball of the innings.
Srikkanth praised the way the MI bowlers kept their discipline throughout the game. “Just take a look at the lengths they bowled at, sheer Test match level discipline,” he said, pointing to how the younger members of the side stepped up when it mattered.
Even with the victory, MI’s task is far from complete. They still find themselves in the lower half of the points table, with only 2 wins from 6 matches placing them 7th. The Hardik Pandya-led franchise still has a lot to improve if they want to secure a spot in the playoffs.
