NEW DELHI: Once again, Rohit Sharma’s unavailability became the central talking point for Mumbai Indians as skipper Hardik Pandya shared an important update on the veteran’s progress ahead of MI’s IPL 2026 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. After winning the toss, Hardik elected to bat first, but he also made it clear that Rohit is not match-ready yet. “Rohit’s gonna take a couple of more games. He’s been trying, it’s not up to exactly where he would want, so not available for the team,” Hardik said, signalling that the return is unlikely to happen immediately while suggesting a steady, step-by-step comeback plan.
Rohit’s absence was not the only concern for Mumbai, with opener Quinton de Kock also ruled out due to a wrist problem. Hardik explained the reshuffle to the playing group: “Mitchell (Santner) was unfortunate, and so was Quinny today. He just did something to his wrist… Ryan (Rickelton) comes in place of Quinny. We’ve got Robin Minz.” Even with multiple disruptions, the MI captain projected confidence in the team’s preparation, stressing the need to keep things simple. “It was important for all of us to reset, not get too complicated… just have a couple of good boys’ evenings. We’ve had good sessions and ticked all the boxes… now just excited for the game,” he added.
At the toss, Hardik also outlined why batting first appealed. He described the weather as conducive for strokeplay, while pointing out that dew may not play a major role. “Looks like a good, breezy day… I don’t think dew will be a factor. We’re just gonna bat and see how much we can score,” he said, underlining that the team’s approach will be driven by the conditions rather than overthinking scenarios. He further stressed the value of setting the tone early: “We just want to come out and play the best cricket… that will definitely help the group.”
On the other side, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins felt their side could handle the challenge the pitch may offer. “It looks like there might be a little bit of tackiness in the wicket, so happy to bowl first,” Cummins said, indicating that conditions could slightly reward bowlers after the ball grips. He also spoke about staying flexible and not anchoring expectations too rigidly. “You’ve just got to reset your expectations every game… this pitch might ask something different, so go with a clear mind.” Cummins, meanwhile, described how he manages bowlers during the match, especially when pressure builds. “I obviously pick up information when I’m bowling… and if someone goes for big overs, I put my arm around them. They hopefully feel some sympathy,” he said.
Playing XIs
Mumbai Indians XI: Ryan Rickelton (w), Will Jacks, Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Robin Minz, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar.
Sunrisers Hyderabad XI: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora (w), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins (c), Harsh Dubey, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge, Eshan Malinga.
