With the Punjab Kings set to face the Mumbai Indians, former India opener Sunil Gavaskar believes the side in the middle of the table should use the remaining stretch to give promising youngsters a real look. The matchup arrives at a moment when Punjab are trying to halt a rough patch, while Mumbai\u2019s campaign has already slipped out of playoff reach\u2014leaving them with a clear opportunity to experiment.<\/p>\n
Gavaskar\u2019s focus was on the mindset shift that often follows elimination from playoff contention. He argued that once a team is no longer chasing qualification, it becomes the right time to look inward and assess reserve talent, especially players who haven\u2019t yet had the chance to show what they can do under pressure. For Mumbai, he suggested, the final games should be used to test younger options and evaluate how they fit into the squad\u2019s plans.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Star Sports\u2019 Cricket Live, Gavaskar said Punjab Kings will be desperate to regain momentum after a four-game losing streak. He explained that once a side drops consecutive matches, doubt begins to creep in, and then the team starts questioning whether changes are needed\u2014either in the playing XI or in the way they approach games. In that context, he felt Punjab\u2019s priority would be simple: get back to winning.<\/p>\n
Turning to Mumbai, Gavaskar said he remains a supporter of the franchise, and with the playoffs no longer in reach, he would like to see them provide opportunities to younger players. He stressed that the decision about which individuals to leave out is ultimately for the team management, but maintained that Mumbai do have several young reserve names who have not yet had sufficient opportunities to prove their abilities. His recommendation was to offer them chances in the remaining three matches and gauge their performances, which could help the franchise prepare more effectively for the next season.<\/p>\n
In line with that idea, Gavaskar pointed towards a pool of less frequently used talent that Mumbai could explore over their last three outings. Raj Angad Bawa, Danish Malewar, wicketkeeper-batter Robin Minz, Krish Bhagat, and Raghu Sharma are among the options who could be pushed into action as the side looks to broaden its choices ahead of the next campaign.<\/p>\n
With the Punjab Kings set to face the Mumbai Indians, former India opener Sunil Gavaskar believes the side in the middle of the table should…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9692,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Gavaskar Advice: Mumbai Indians Blood Youngsters in IPL","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Sunil Gavaskar urges Mumbai to blood young talent after IPL 2026 playoff exit, ahead of the Punjab Kings clash\u2014fresh chances for future stars.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n