Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Mumbai Indians, is not participating in the IPL match against the Punjab Kings at Wankhede Stadium due to a hamstring injury. MI captain Hardik Pandya confirmed this during the toss, stating that Sharma may need a couple of games before returning. Quinton de Kock from South Africa has been included in the squad and will open the batting alongside Ryan Rickelton. Sharma's injury occurred during the last match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he scored 19 runs off 13 balls before leaving the field in the sixth over. The injury significantly affected Mumbai's chase in that game, which they lost by 18 runs. The franchise's media manager indicated that updates on Sharma's fitness would be released when available. As Sharma aims to prolong his ODI career with hopes of playing in the World Cup next year, these injuries raise concerns about his future participation.