India, April 15 -- Mumbai Indians head into their IPL 2026 Rivalry Week clash against Punjab Kings with one tactical question standing out more sharply than most. In a season where MI have struggled to consistently impose themselves early, should Hardik Pandya's team focus first on powerplay batting, or on getting their new-ball bowling right? That was the question Aaron Finch was asked during a media interaction ahead of Rivalry Week by HT Digital, which runs from April 16 to 18 in IPL 2026.

Finch's answer left little room for doubt. If he were in Hardik Pandya's position before facing Punjab, his first fix would go to the powerplay overs trying to sharpen Mumbai's new-ball bowling rather than worrying first about the batting. For Finch...