After surprisingly missing the side’s last game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) due to a back spasm, the Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya is now expected to join the squad in Raipur on Thursday. This comes as a huge boost ahead of Sunday’s crucial IPL 2026 clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Pandya had skipped travelling with the first batch of players on Wednesday, which started speculation around both his fitness and his equation with the franchise during another underwhelming season. However, there seems to be no panic in the MI camp as of now.
Why Hardik Pandya to join MI camp late?
It is understood that Pandya was advised precautionary rest for close to a week after suffering the back issue during the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) game. The franchise management believes the problem is manageable and expects him to return soon even if he does not feature against RCB. Some reports also stated that Pandya flew to Bengaluru to check in at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence. If that’s true, there could be more precautionary measure from Pandya, who has been managing his fitness carefully in recent times.
Mumbai Indians have followed a cautious route with senior players this season. Rohit Sharma, for example, was eased back gradually after his hamstring injury and eventually returned as an Impact Player. A similar call could now be taken with Pandya depending on how his body responds over the next few training sessions.
MI are virtually out of the playoff race after managing only three wins in ten matches. Pandya himself has endured another difficult campaign, scoring just 146 runs from eight matches while taking only four wickets. With the playoff race all but over, MI can afford to miss Pandya. They just can’t afford to see him get injured.
Suryakumar Yadav doubtful for RCB vs MI
Pandya was not the only notable absentee when MI’s players travelled to Raipur.
Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Tilak Varma, Quinton de Kock and several overseas players also did not leave with the first group. However, unlike Pandya’s case, MI’s staggered travel plans were apparently pre-decided because of the long gap between fixtures.
The bigger concern for MI could actually be Suryakumar’s availability. The stand-in captain from the LSG game is now doubtful for the RCB fixture due to personal reasons. As per social media chatter, the Indian T20I World Cup winning captain could become a father soon.
On the field, Suryakumar has managed only 162 runs in eight innings this season at an average of 20.25 and a strike rate of 140.86, his lowest strike rate in an IPL campaign since 2019. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma has already travelled with the squad and is expected to continue building match fitness ahead of what is effectively a must-win game for Mumbai Indians.
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