NEW DELHI: Hardik Pandya’s latest absence has sparked fresh questions among Mumbai Indians fans. When will the franchise captain return, and how much does his ailment affect his availability? Pandya has now missed three straight matches for Mumbai, sidelined by a back problem.
Back spasm kept Pandya out of Mumbai Indians’ match against Lucknow Super Giants on May 4 at home. After that, he was also unavailable for the encounter versus Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur on May 10, despite travelling with the squad. In the next game, Pandya again did not make the trip to Dharamsala for Mumbai’s six-wicket victory over Punjab Kings.
With Pandya absent, Suryakumar Yadav took over the leadership role. Suryakumar also missed the Dharamsala contest after the birth of his child, meaning Jasprit Bumrah became Mumbai’s third captain of the season during the Punjab Kings match.
Thakur’s update on Pandya and the return timeline
- Shardul Thakur confirmed that Pandya’s absence in the last three games is injury-related, following Mumbai’s latest outing.
- Thakur suggested Pandya could be fit for the next Mumbai Indians fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on May 20.
- While addressing speculation around Pandya’s future with the franchise, Thakur dismissed it, explaining that the all-rounder is currently training in Mumbai.
“Hardik is injured, so he couldn’t travel for a couple of games,” Thakur said during the post-match media interaction. He added: “He went to Raipur (for the RCB match on May 10), but couldn’t play. He is training in Mumbai now and I expect him to be back in Kolkata and play (at Eden Gardens on May 20). Players like them, we always miss the quality.”
Season struggles and Mumbai’s position
Mumbai Indians have already been eliminated from IPL 2026. Pandya’s underwhelming form has been viewed as one of the key factors behind the team’s disappointing campaign, with his struggles extending to both leadership and batting.
In eight innings, Pandya has managed 146 runs at an average of 20.85, striking at 136.44. His best score in the tournament so far is 40. With the ball, he has taken only four wickets, averaging 61.50, while conceding at an economy rate of close to 11.90 across 20.4 overs.
