Mumbai Indians’ unexpected decision to use Shardul Thakur as an Impact Sub in their IPL 2026 clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede quickly turned into a major talking point after he was brought into the match in the seventh over—yet never got a chance to bowl. The controversy landed on a day when MI’s bowling unit struggled badly, and SRH went on to complete a record chase with plenty of time to spare.
Key takeaways
- Shardul Thakur was introduced as an Impact Sub in the seventh over of MI vs SRH but did not bowl any delivery.
- MI posted 243/5 after being put in to bat first, but SRH chased it down in 19.2 overs.
- Travis Head led the chase with 76 off 30 balls, supported by Heinrich Klaasen’s 65* and Abhishek Sharma’s 45 off 24.
- Jasprit Bumrah’s figures were 0/54 from four overs, while Trent Boult conceded 41 across his spell.
- Ryan Rickelton’s unbeaten 123 came off 55 balls as MI reached a massive total.
Why MI’s Thakur decision sparked backlash
The move became one of the loudest talking points from the encounter, with supporters questioning the strategy of deploying a seam-bowling all-rounder as an Impact Sub and then leaving him unused. The timing only added to the confusion: Thakur entered the contest in the seventh over, but MI never handed him the ball, even as SRH’s batters steadily took control.
MI tried to disrupt SRH’s opening rhythm by making a number of changes to their XI. One of those alterations saw wicketkeeper-batter Robin Minz replaced by Thakur, with the idea that the additional bowling option could provide extra cover. Instead, SRH’s batters continued to press forward, and Thakur’s inclusion ended without any overs being delivered.
MI’s huge total, then a collapse in control
After setting a formidable target, MI were still made to pay for the lack of control in their bowling. With the bat, they reached 243/5 in 20 overs, powered by a match-changing innings from Ryan Rickelton, who remained unbeaten on 123 off 55 balls.
However, SRH responded in explosive fashion. Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head raced to 115/0 in just seven overs, putting MI under immediate pressure. SRH’s chase was then consolidated and accelerated through the middle overs, ultimately culminating in a successful run chase with eight balls remaining.
Travis Head finished with 76 off 30 balls, while Heinrich Klaasen contributed 65* from 30 deliveries. Abhishek Sharma added 45 off 24, and Salil Arora struck 30* off 10 as SRH completed the chase in emphatic style.
Bowling numbers that underlined MI’s tough day
On a day when MI’s bowlers were repeatedly punished, none managed to keep SRH’s scoring rate down to a single-digit run rate in an over-by-over sense. Trent Boult conceded 41 runs in his four overs, while Jasprit Bumrah endured an unusually expensive outing, returning 4-0-54-0 with no wickets.
Allah Ghazanfar also struggled to contain the batters despite taking two wickets, giving away 51 in his four-over spell. Ashwani Kumar’s figures read 2-0-41-0, and Hardik Pandya went for 10.63 per over. Will Jacks was also taken on, with his solitary over costing 19 runs.
Amid all of this, the absence of Thakur’s bowling stood out most. The all-rounder has 113 wickets from 112 IPL matches and is often used as a partnership-breaker, making his unused spell feel even more puzzling to fans.
How fans reacted
Social media quickly reacted to the strange sequence of events, with many highlighting the stark contrast between MI’s decision to bring Thakur into the match and the fact that he never bowled. The prevailing message was simple: with MI’s bowlers being attacked throughout the innings, leaving a frontline seam option unused only compounded the frustration.
Ultimately, the result ensured the debate would not fade quickly—SRH dismantled MI at the Wankhede, turning a record-setting MI total into a chase that ended comfortably ahead of schedule.
