Mumbai Indians captain and star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has arrived with the squad in Raipur ahead of a pivotal IPL 2026 meeting against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, after missing the previous fixture because of a back spasm. The franchise confirmed the update by sharing a post on its official Instagram account featuring Hardik. In the match immediately before this one—Mumbai’s encounter versus the Lucknow Super Giants—Suryakumar Yadav took over the captaincy role in Hardik’s absence.
Hardik Pandya’s absence and the captaincy switch
Hardik’s unavailability stemmed from back spasms, which kept him out of Mumbai’s prior IPL 2026 game. With the skipper sidelined, Suryakumar Yadav led the side against the Lucknow Super Giants, ensuring the team had a clear on-field leadership plan despite the late fitness concern.
Ryan Rickelton on the injury concerns
After Mumbai delivered a commanding win over the Lucknow Super Giants, Ryan Rickelton addressed questions about Hardik’s condition during the post-match press interaction. Rickelton made it clear that the team’s understanding of the issue was limited at that stage, while also expressing confidence that Hardik would rejoin the group as they travelled to Raipur.
- Rickelton said he was not sure when Hardik would be back, explaining that he learned about the back spasms only that afternoon.
- He added that he did not want to label it as a definite injury in terms of severity because he was unaware of how severe it was or what exactly Hardik was experiencing.
- Despite the uncertainty, Rickelton stated he was confident Hardik would be with the squad again as Mumbai headed to Raipur during the week.
Raipur schedule, training plans, and match context
As the team prepares for the next challenge at Raipur, a full training session is set to be held at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium. Hardik is expected to take part with the group in the nets on Friday, following the squad’s arrival and preparations for the high-stakes encounter.
On the match calendar, the defending champions RCB will host Mumbai Indians in a blockbuster clash on Sunday evening.
- Mumbai Indians have recorded three wins and seven losses, placing them ninth in the points table.
- With their playoff prospects hanging by a thread, Mumbai need to win every remaining match to keep their chances alive.
- RCB, after suffering defeat to LSG in Lucknow earlier in the campaign, are currently placed third.
- Bengaluru have lost four times in the tournament so far, and their recent results have shaped their position in the standings.
