Hardik Pandya Unlikely to Play for Mumbai Indians Against Royal Challengers Bengaluru
New Delhi: Hardik Pandya may miss the Mumbai Indians’ upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 10 in Raipur, as he did not travel with the team, according to a report from Cricbuzz.
Pandya sat out the previous match against the Lucknow Super Giants due to “back spasms,” as stated by the Mumbai Indians management. In his absence, Suryakumar Yadav captained the team, leading them to their third victory of the season, which keeps their playoff hopes alive.
If Pandya is unable to return, Yadav is expected to continue in the captaincy role. Cricbuzz noted that Pandya was not seen with the team at Mumbai’s Terminal 1 upon their departure.
Rickelton Provides Update on Pandya
MI opener Ryan Rickelton commented on Hardik Pandya following the team’s recent six-wicket win over LSG, offering insights into the skipper’s potential return. “I don’t know when he’s expected to be back. I found out this afternoon that he had back spasms, so I’m unaware of the extent of it. I don’t want to call it an injury; I’m unaware of how bad it is or what he’s feeling. But I’m sure he’ll be with the group again as we head to Raipur this week,” said Rickelton.
Mumbai Indians Keep Playoff Hopes Alive
Mumbai Indians secured a thrilling victory against LSG, chasing down 229 runs in the 19th over, marking their third win in the tournament. This win is critical as it keeps MI’s playoff aspirations intact. After losing the toss, LSG batted first but delivered a subpar performance, with Josh Inglis dismissed early for just 13 runs. However, contributions from Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran were vital for the visitors.
Currently, the five-time champions sit in ninth place on the points table with only three wins from 10 matches, totaling six points. To have any chance of qualifying for the playoffs, MI must win all remaining matches to reach 14 points.
