NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya is set to return for the IPL 2026 match against Rajasthan Royals at the ACA Stadium in Barsapara, Guwahati, according to bowling coach Paras Mhambrey. Speaking at the pre-match media interaction on Monday, Mhambrey said Pandya had completed a “good couple of hours” of net practice and was available for selection. He also clarified that the skipper’s earlier absence was not due to injury, but because Pandya had been unwell and therefore missed the previous game.
Hardik’s illness had kept him out of Mumbai’s last outing, a move that immediately affected the balance of the side. The five-time champions were unable to stop Delhi Capitals as they fell to a six-wicket defeat on Saturday. With Pandya missing, Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain, took over leadership duties and ensured continuity, but Mumbai still had to adjust to the absence of Hardik’s all-round impact—especially on a tacky surface where his skill set can be particularly valuable.
The change in personnel also triggered a reshuffle in Mumbai’s playing combination. Deepak Chahar, who came into the XI, managed a controlled spell, but the decision to include pace all-rounder Corbin Bosch rather than bring back experienced left-arm pacer Trent Boult did not yield the desired results. Bosch struggled to keep things tight and ended up allowing runs, which contributed to Delhi’s chase.
Even though Mumbai managed to strike early in the second innings and take two wickets at the start, they could not prevent Delhi from successfully chasing a 163-run target. The chase ended with eleven balls remaining and six wickets in hand, leaving Mumbai to reflect on missed chances after their initial breakthroughs.
Shardul Thakur, who had been impactful in their opening match, was more expensive in the most recent game. Jasprit Bumrah, meanwhile, has continued to keep things economical, but he has yet to open his wicket tally for the season. In the spin department, Mitchell Santner has justified his selection over Afghan mystery spinner Allah Ghazanfar and is expected to keep his place for the upcoming contest.
While Mumbai will look to regroup, the bigger challenge will be Rajasthan’s top order, which has been producing strong starts. The Royals have been powered by explosive innings from openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, before Dhruv Jurel has added stability and momentum as innings progress. Their new captain, Riyan Parag, has not yet delivered a major contribution with the bat, but he will likely draw confidence from his leadership—particularly the late-game tactics that helped Rajasthan register a thrilling win over Gujarat Titans.
On the bowling front, Rajasthan have also enjoyed encouraging performances. Tushar Deshpande and Ravi Bishnoi have been among the standouts. Bishnoi is currently level as the joint-leading wicket-taker with five wickets from two matches, representing a notable recovery after a difficult 2025 campaign in which he worked on multiple parts of his game. Deshpande, in turn, demonstrated his death-over capabilities by defending 10 runs in the final over against the Titans, conceding only four while hitting the right lengths with a sequence of accurate yorkers.
With Mumbai sitting sixth in the points standings and aiming to bounce back, and Rajasthan positioned second and riding a wave of confidence, the outcome could come down to how effectively Mumbai’s bowlers handle a Rajasthan batting unit that has been firing at the top.
