Mumbai: Hardik Pandya Remains in Mumbai, Suryakumar Yadav Absent for IPL Clash
Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya did not travel with the team to Dharamsala for their IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings. Instead, he stayed in Mumbai to continue his rehabilitation from a back spasm, sharing clips of his training on Instagram where he was seen batting against throwdown specialists and net bowlers.
Pandya has missed the last two matches due to his condition. Although he participated in training ahead of the high-stakes game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru last weekend and was considered a potential last-minute inclusion in the playing XI, MI’s management opted against it due to a lack of medical clearance; team doctors are still assessing his fitness.
His recent behavior has raised eyebrows, as he unfollowed and then refollowed the Mumbai Indians on Instagram, stirring speculation about a possible rift within the team. Nonetheless, there remains a possibility that Pandya may link up with the squad either later tonight or on match day.
In addition to Pandya’s absence, Suryakumar Yadav did not make the trip to Dharamsala either. His absence is attributed to personal reasons following the birth of his child, although he is expected to join the team in due course. Yadav has been acting as captain in Pandya’s absence.
Currently, the Mumbai Indians are facing challenges in the tournament, having been eliminated from playoff contention after suffering eight defeats in 11 matches, placing them ninth on the points table. Pandya had previously hinted at the necessity for a team overhaul to improve results, but MI has chosen not to drop their senior players.
Both Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah have underperformed this season, and Tilak Varma has shown significant inconsistency, contributing to Mumbai’s overall disappointing performance.
