Mumbai Indians’ already troubled IPL 2026 campaign has taken another hit, with captain Hardik Pandya conspicuously absent as the squad departed for Raipur ahead of their crucial fixture against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 10.
When MI players assembled at Terminal 1 of Mumbai airport on Wednesday afternoon, Pandya was nowhere to be seen. There has been no official confirmation on whether he will join the squad closer to the match, leaving his availability very much in doubt.
This is the second consecutive game Pandya is set to miss. He was ruled out of the LSG match at Wankhede Stadium on May 4 due to back spasms, with Suryakumar Yadav stepping in as stand-in captain.
While MI officially confirmed that Pandya was unwell with back spasms for that game, rumours swirling on social media suggest there may be more to his absence than just a physical ailment, with questions mounting over his long-term future as MI captain.
To compound matters further, reports also suggest Suryakumar Yadav may not feature against RCB, as he is reportedly expecting his first child.
Mumbai Indians, retained Pandya for ₹16.35 crore ahead of the mega auction, are currently ninth on the points table with just three wins from ten matches. With four games remaining, every fixture is virtually a must-win for the five-time champions to keep their playoff hopes alive.
With their two key leaders potentially unavailable, MI may turn to Rohit Sharma or Jasprit Bumrah for captaincy duties against the defending champions.
