In a critical analysis ahead of the IPL 2026 match between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 16, former Indian captain Kris Srikkanth highlighted the risks of including both Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar in the MI lineup. MI has had a rocky start to the season, winning only one of their first four matches. Thakur, despite leading the team with five wickets, has an alarming economy rate of 13.45, while Chahar has only managed one wicket in two games at an economy of 10.50. Srikkanth emphasized that MI should avoid playing both pacers, suggesting that their performance could jeopardize the match. He also recommended utilizing Naman Dhir's part-time off-spin and adjusting the batting order to enhance MI's performance. Additionally, with Rohit Sharma's participation in doubt due to a hamstring injury, Srikkanth proposed that MI should replace him with Quinton de Kock and drop the struggling Trent Boult in favor of uncapped pacer Ashwani Kumar. This match is pivotal for MI as they aim to turn their season around.