Mumbai Indians endured a bruising night at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on 7 April 2026, falling 27 runs short against Rajasthan Royals in a rain-shortened 11-over shootout. Yashasvi Jaiswal was in devastating form, smashing an unbeaten 77 off 32 balls, while young talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi chipped in with a quickfire 39 off just 14 deliveries.
Their efforts propelled the Royals to a daunting 150 for 3. Jofra Archer immediately put MI on the back foot by dismissing Ryan Rickelton in the opening over. Nandre Burger and Sandeep Sharma then tore through the top order, leaving Mumbai reeling at 22 for 2 within three overs. Even with 25-run contributions from Naman Dhir and Sherfane Rutherford, Mumbai never really found their rhythm, finishing on 123 for 9. This latest slip-up leaves them sitting seventh in the standings after losing two of their last three.
The loss puts a massive focus on the man missing from the lineup, and that's England’s star all-rounder Will Jacks. MI picked up Jacks for ₹5.25 crore during the 2025 Mega Auction after a heated bidding war with Punjab Kings, while RCB surprisingly passed on using their Right to Match card.
He proved his worth immediately in his first season, racking up 233 runs and taking 6 wickets in 13 games, which made his retention for 2026 a no-brainer. But since then, Jacks has been through the wringer with England, leading their charge at the T20 World Cup 2026 just before the IPL kicked off.
When you look at how much Jacks put into that tournament, it’s easy to see why Mumbai granted him some personal time. In eight matches, he hammered 226 runs at a strike rate of 176.56 and bagged nine wickets, comfortably making the ICC's official Team of the Tournament.
He actually equalled Shane Watson’s record for the most Player of the Match awards in a single World Cup, picking up four trophies along the way. Whether it was against Nepal and Italy or tougher sides like Sri Lanka and New Zealand, he was lethal with both bat and ball. England’s run ended in a tight semi-final loss to India, but Jacks left the competition as one of the standout names in world cricket.
After that marathon international run, Jacks asked for a few days at home with his family before linking up with MI, which was a request the team were happy to grant. Speaking after the Royals' defeat, head coach Mahela Jayawardene confirmed the team is banking on Jacks being back in the fold before they face Royal Challengers Bengaluru at home on 12 April. His world-class form and knack for performing under pressure are exactly what MI’s XI is missing right now, and they’ll be desperate to get him back before this rough patch turns into a crisis.
