Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 24 (ANI): Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene has clarified the circumstances surrounding Mitchell Santner's concussion substitution during their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, a match in which MI suffered a 103-run defeat, their biggest loss in IPL history.

The match witnessed an unusual moment when Shardul Thakur walked out to bat in the 14th over as a concussion substitute for Santner, which raised questions regarding the nature of the injury and the protocol followed by the franchise.

During the first inning, MI's Santner had run in from sweeper cover to complete a diving catch to dismiss Kartik Sharma, but left the field grimacing and clutching his shoulder. However, when Thakur came out to bat as a concussion substitute with MI reeling at 87/7, it raised questions over whether the injury was head-related.

Speaking in the post-match press conference, Jayawardene explained that Santner experienced dizziness after returning to the dugout, prompting further medical checks.

'I think he hit his head first, neck, obviously the shoulder as well,' he said, according to ESPNcricinfo. 'He went for a scan because once he got back, he felt dizzy. So, he was lying down. Yes, the ice was there for the shoulder. But he felt that he wasn't stable. So, we took him for a scan in that situation. We requested [for a concussion substitute]. Obviously, it is at the match referee and the umpire's discretion.'

'They allowed Shardul. Mitch will be disappointed that his batting powers are matched to Shardul Thakur. But it is what it is. But hopefully, it's not too bad,' said MI head coach.

The clarification came after a crushing defeat for MI, who were outplayed in all departments. CSK posted 207/6, powered by a brilliant 101 off 54 balls from Sanju Samson, before bowling MI out for just 104.

Akeal Hosein led the bowling effort with an outstanding 4/17, while Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Jamie Overton, Anshul Kamboj and Gurjapneet Singh chipped in to dismantle the batting line-up.

Despite the heavy loss, Jayawardene highlighted the performance of young MI spinner Allah Ghazanfar, who claimed two wickets while conceding just 25 runs in his four overs.

'I thought Allah bowled well. I think he's young; he's proven to be quite mature for his age,' he said. 'How he thinks, how he bowls, he's bowling in the powerplay, and after that [as well]. The more games he plays, he will do well. Even their two spinners bowled well today as well. It was a great spell from Akeal. We just need to keep backing Allah to do what he does,' Jayawardene said.

The result marked CSK's biggest win by runs in IPL history. After this win, CSK jumped to fifth place in the points table with three wins in seven matches.

MI will clash with Sunrisers Hyderabad next on Wednesday at the same venue. They are currently eighth on the points table with four points in seven matches. (ANI)