The Wankhede crowd went quiet. Then they clapped. Respect.
The Player of the Match in the 24th match of IPL 2026 was Arshdeep Singh.
Not Quinton de Kock with his brilliant 112. Not Prabhsimran Singh with his explosive 80. Not Shreyas Iyer with his third straight fifty. A left-arm pacer who walked into a batting paradise and bowled like it was a green top.
I watched every ball of Match 24. MI vs PBKS at Wankhede. The same ground where 220 gets chased like nothing. Arshdeep finished with 3 wickets for 22 runs in 4 overs. Economy of just 5.50.
On a pitch where every other bowler went for 9 or 10 an over. That is not just good bowling. That is art. Let me tell you why he won. What he did. And why the man of the match today match award could have gone to three people, but only one truly deserved it.
The Match in 30 Seconds – What Happened at Wankhede?
Before I break down Arshdeep's performance, here is the quick scorecard. Mumbai Indians batted first. Scored 195 for 6 in 20 overs.
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Quinton de Kock played a homecoming special. 112 not out off 60 balls. Eight fours. Seven sixes . Naman Dhir supported with 50 off 31.
Punjab Kings chased. Got there in 16.3 overs. Seven wickets in hand.
Prabhsimran Singh stayed unbeaten on 80 off 39 balls. Shreyas Iyer scored 66 off 35.
Total runs in the match? 393 in 36.3 overs. Run rate of 10.76.
A batting paradise.
And yet. A bowler won the Player of the Match award.
That tells you everything about Arshdeep Singh's night.
Player of the Match in the 24th Match of IPL 2026 Score – Arshdeep's Full Spell
Let me give you the player of the match in the 24th match of IPL 2026 score card. Ball by ball. Wicket by wicket. Arshdeep Singh's bowling spans:
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Overs: 4
-
Maidens: 0
-
Runs: 22
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Wickets: 3
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Economy: 5.50
His three wickets:
| Batter |
How Out |
Over |
Score at dismissal |
| Ryan Rickelton |
Caught at deep square leg |
2.1 |
12/1 |
| Suryakumar Yadav |
Caught at short third |
2.2 |
12/2 |
| Sherfane Rutherford |
Bowled (yorker) |
18.5 |
182/5 |
The first two wickets came in two balls.
Rickelton. Then Suryakumar. Two of MI's most dangerous batters. Back in the dugout. MI went from 12 for 0 to 12 for 2 in the space of two legal deliveries.
Arshdeep spread his arms after the second wicket. Ran towards the boundary. The PBKS dressing room was on its feet.
He had just become the first Punjab Kings bowler to take 100 IPL wickets.
The Three Wickets – Why Each One Mattered?
Let me break down each wicket. Because the highlights do not tell the full story.
Wicket 1 – Ryan Rickelton (2.1 overs)
Arshdeep started his first over with three beauties. Swinging away from the left-handed Rickelton. Beat the bat. Beat it again. Beat it a third time.
Rickelton had no answer.
Second over. Second ball. Arshdeep bowls a length ball on the pads. Not a bad ball. But Rickelton had been chasing everything. This time he found deep square leg perfectly. Straight to the fielder.
Why this wicket mattered: Rickelton was MI's aggressive opener. Getting him early stopped MI from exploding in the powerplay. They only managed 48 runs in the first 6 overs.
Wicket 2 – Suryakumar Yadav (2.2 overs)
The very next ball.
Arshdeep saw Suryakumar walking in. He knew Surya would expect the ball to swing from left to right (away from the right-hander).
So Arshdeep angled the seam differently. Bowled a length ball that held its line. Surya poked. Outside edge. Straight to Yuzvendra Chahal at short third.
Why this wicket mattered: Suryakumar Yadav is India's T20 captain. He is MI's best batter. Getting him for a golden duck? That changes the entire complexion of the innings.
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Two wickets in two balls. MI went from 12 for 0 to 12 for 2. The Wankhede crowd went silent.
Wicket 3 – Sherfane Rutherford (18.5 overs)
After the powerplay heroics, Arshdeep went away. Came back for the death overs. MI was 182 for 4. Rutherford had just come in. Hardik Pandya was already out.
Arshdeep bowled a perfect yorker. 136 kph. Tailied in late. Hit middle and leg stump. Rutherford tried to drive. Missed completely. Timber.
Why this wicket mattered: Rutherford was MI's last hope for a big finish. With him gone, MI limped to 195. De Kock stayed unbeaten on 112, but the last four overs only produced 35 runs.
Player of the Match Today Cricket India – The Other Contenders
The player of the match today cricket India award could have gone to three other players. Let me tell you why they did not win.
Quinton de Kock – 112 not out off 60 balls
This was a special innings. De Kock was playing his first match of IPL 2026. Rohit Sharma's injury opened the door. He scored his third IPL century. And the first for Mumbai Indians.
Why he did not win: His team lost. Simple. In T20 cricket, a century in a losing cause rarely wins POTM. Also, his 112 came in 195 total. MI still fell short by 21 balls.
Who de Kock is best for: Fantasy cricket players. He gave you 112 points. A captain's dream.
Who de Kock is not for: Anyone betting on MI to win. His runs did not translate to victory.
Prabhsimran Singh – 80 not out off 39 balls
This knock was effortless. Eleven fours. Two sixes. Strike rate of 205.
He made the chase look easy. Took the attack to MI's bowlers. Stayed unbeaten till the end.
Why he did not win: Arshdeep's spell came in a winning cause too. But Arshdeep did something harder. He bowled well on a batting pitch. Prabhsimran batted well on a batting pitch. The bowler gets extra credit for defying conditions.
Who Prabhsimran is best for: Fantasy players. He is in red-hot form. 211 runs in 122 balls this season.
Who Prabhsimran is not for: People who want consistency. He is explosive but still young. Will have failures.
Shreyas Iyer – 66 off 35 balls
Third consecutive half-century for the PBKS captain. Five fours. Four sixes. Strike rate of 188. He also took that ridiculous relay catch to dismiss Hardik Pandya. Jumped in the air. Caught it. Threw it back before touching the ground.
Why he did not win: Good knock. Great catch. But Arshdeep's 3 for 22 on a flat pitch was more impactful.
Who Shreyas is best for: Captaincy fantasy leagues. He is leading from the front.
Who Shreyas is not for: People who think he is slow. His strike rate this season is well above 150.
Why Arshdeep Deserved the Player of the Match Award?
Let me be direct.
Bowling spans of 3 for 22 at Wankhede is worth double anywhere else.
The average economy rate at Wankhede this season is over 10. Arshdeep bowled at 5.50. That is nearly half the average.
Three reasons he won:
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He broke MI's back in the powerplay. Two wickets in two balls. Rickelton and Suryakumar. The two batters MI trusted most.
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He came back and delivered at the death. The yorker to Rutherford. Perfect. Unplayable.
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He reached 100 IPL wickets for PBKS. First bowler from the franchise to do so. That is legacy stuff.
The man of the match today match award is not just about numbers. It is about impact. Arshdeep's impact was felt in every phase of the MI innings.
What This Means for PBKS and MI Going Forward?
PBKS – Unbeaten and Dangerous
PBKS has 9 points from 5 matches. They have not lost a single game.
Arshdeep finding form is bad news for every other team. Before this match, he had only 2 wickets in 4 games at an economy of 10.6. Now he looks back.
What PBKS needs to do: Keep Arshdeep as the powerplay bowler. That is where he is most dangerous.
What PBKS should avoid: Overbowling him. He bowled 4 overs here. That is enough. Save him for the big moments.
MI – Four Losses in a Row
MI has 2 points from 5 matches. They have lost four consecutive games.
The batting is fine. De Kock scored 112. Dhir scored 50. The bowling is the problem. Bumrah has ZERO wickets this season. Chahar went for 45 in 2.3 overs.
What MI needs to do: Find a way to take wickets in the powerplay. They have the worst powerplay bowling record this season.
What MI should avoid: Panicking and changing the captain. Hardik is fine. The team needs time.
One Last Thing – From Someone Who Has Watched Every IPL 2026 Match
I have watched every game this season. Every single one. I have seen batters smash bowlers all over the park. I have seen 250 totals. I have seen 20-ball fifties.
But watching Arshdeep Singh bowl at Wankhede on Thursday night? That was different. He did not have pace. He does not have mystery. He has skill. Swing. Smarts. And a yorker that lands exactly where he wants.
On a pitch where everyone else went for 10 an over, he went for 5.5. That is not luck. That is mastery. The player of the match in the 24th match of IPL 2026 was the right choice. De Kock scored a brilliant hundred.
Prabhsimran played a match-winning knock. Shreyas led from the front. But Arshdeep Singh won the game before the chase even started.
And that is why he took the trophy home.
