NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has offered a fresh glimpse into his recovery after posting training content on Instagram from the Reliance training base in Mumbai. The timing of the update comes at a moment when questions have lingered over whether he will be available for MI\u2019s next IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala on Thursday. The star all-rounder appears to be putting in work with the ball and in the gym, a clear sign that his return to full workload is at least underway.<\/p>\n
Hardik had missed Mumbai Indians\u2019 previous outing against Royal Challengers Bengaluru because of back spasms. After that setback, his latest practice visuals suggested he is gradually building back fitness rather than making an abrupt comeback. Even so, the latest reports indicate that his recovery has not yet translated into a complete return to match-day plans, with the captain not being part of the first group of MI players that travelled to Dharamsala on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
That decision has reopened uncertainty around his participation ahead of Wednesday\u2019s build-up and the eventual clash scheduled for Thursday. The Mumbai Indians support staff are reportedly keeping a close watch on his condition, with a final call expected after assessing how he responds to the next phase of training and whether the back issue remains stable. While being seen at the facility has naturally boosted optimism, his absence from the initial travel party shows the franchise is still treating his availability as conditional.<\/p>\n
Earlier, head coach Mahela Jayawardene had already laid out the situation, explaining that Hardik was dealing with a back problem and was receiving treatment. Jayawardene noted that the team had been trying to get the issue under control, but it had not settled fully, and that Hardik was unable to train for the preceding days\u2014meaning MI did not want to risk aggravating the problem. He also said that the decision would be made based on how Hardik feels day to day, with the medical staff guiding the next steps.<\/p>\n
With Mumbai Indians already out of the IPL 2026 playoff race, the franchise is unlikely to rush their captain back unless he receives full clearance. Still, the captain\u2019s recent training update has given fans a reason to hope that he could join the squad before the Punjab Kings game. Whether that happens will depend on the latest assessment of his fitness and match readiness as MI move closer to Thursday\u2019s fixture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has offered a fresh glimpse into his recovery after posting training content on Instagram from the Reliance training…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9352,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Hardik Pandya Training Update: MI vs Punjab Kings IPL 2026","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Hardik Pandya shares a new training update as Mumbai Indians weigh his fitness ahead of IPL 2026 vs Punjab Kings in Dharamsala.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n