MI vs RCB IPL 2026: Mumbai Indians head into this big Sunday game with more questions than answers after a rocky start to IPL 2026. The five-time champs are stuck in eighth place with only one win from three starts, and that -0.715 net run rate shows just how much they’ve struggled to get going.
Their last game against Rajasthan Royals was a tough one to swallow; they fell 27 runs short in a rain-hit 11-over sprint in Guwahati, where teenage talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Yashasvi Jaiswal pretty much had their way with the MI attack.
While Rohit Sharma is still leading the way with 118 runs at a solid average, the likes of Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav haven’t really hit their stride yet. Coach Mahela Jayawardene is well aware that he has the talent in the dressing room to flip the script, but he needs the whole unit to click at once, and we just haven’t seen that spark yet.
A Wankhede blockbuster sets the stage for redemption
The 20th match of IPL 2026 sees the Mumbai Indians take on the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at the Wankhede Stadium this Sunday, April 12. With the toss approaching and the first ball at 7:30 PM IST, RCB look like the team to beat. They’ve won both their opening matches but lost their previous game against the Rajasthan Royals. However, they are still a scary prospect for an MI side still trying to find its feet.
That said, MI usually own this ground when RCB come to town, winning 8 of their 12 home games against them. Plus, a 33,000-strong Wankhede crowd is going to be right behind them. Having Jasprit Bumrah, who took 14 wickets in the T20 World Cup, gives MI a weapon that most teams can only dream of. His history with Virat Kohli, having dismissed him five times, is the big battle everyone will be watching tonight.
MI vs RCB IPL 2026: Will Jacks still be absent, but what do the reports say about tonight?
Will Jacks hasn’t actually stepped onto the field yet this season, which is surprising given he arrived in India as probably England’s most dangerous T20 player. After a long T20 World Cup run through February and March, Will Jacks asked for a bit more time off to be with his family, and the MI management was happy to give it to him.
That’s why he’s missed the first three games. Before the season started, Jayawardene mentioned that Will Jacks needed that personal break, and the team felt they had enough cover in the squad for the time being. Most of the predicted XIs for tonight still leave Will Jacks out of the starting lineup, tucking him away in the Impact Player list instead, so while he might debut, it’s definitely not a sure thing. Most experts think Mitchell Santner, who is back to full fitness, will keep his spot over the England all-rounder.
It’s a bit of a strange situation because Will Jacks is coming off the best form of his life. He smashed 226 runs at a strike rate of 176.56 and took nine wickets in the T20 World Cup, making the ICC Team of the Tournament. He even tied Shane Watson’s 2012 record by picking up four Player of the Match awards in a single World Cup, putting on a clinic against teams like Nepal, Italy, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand.
Over his 21-match IPL career, he’s scored 463 runs, including that incredible 41-ball century against the Gujarat Titans. MI paid ₹5.25 crore to get him back because that mix of power hitting and off-spin is exactly what they need. The longer Will Jacks stays on the sidelines, the more obvious that hole in their lineup becomes.
