{"id":9877,"date":"2026-05-15T03:59:33","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T03:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/hardik-pandya-absence-raises-questions-as-mi-beat-punjab-kings-again"},"modified":"2026-05-15T03:59:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T03:59:33","slug":"hardik-pandya-absence-raises-questions-as-mi-beat-punjab-kings-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/hardik-pandya-absence-raises-questions-as-mi-beat-punjab-kings-again","title":{"rendered":"Hardik Pandya Absence Raises Questions as MI Beat Punjab Kings Again"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Mumbai Indians bounced back to winning form in the IPL 2026, recording their fourth victory of the campaign in a thrilling win over Punjab Kings on Thursday. The match was led by Jasprit Bumrah, with Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav missing the fixture. While MI have indicated that Hardik\u2019s absence stems from a back spasm, chatter around the team has suggested there may be more behind the scenes.<\/p>\n<h2>MI\u2019s turnaround and the captaincy change<\/h2>\n<p>With both Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav unavailable for the clash, the responsibility of leading the side fell to Jasprit Bumrah. The result helped Mumbai Indians return to the winners\u2019 circle, adding another step to their progress in the league phase of IPL 2026.<\/p>\n<h2>Hardik\u2019s absence sparks debate over dressing-room unity<\/h2>\n<p>As Hardik remains sidelined, reports have circulated about potential discord in the MI dressing room involving him and certain teammates. Virender Sehwag, a former India opener, addressed the controversy directly\u2014making a distinction between cricketing merit and alleged off-field tension.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>MI have suggested Hardik\u2019s non-availability is linked to a back spasm.<\/li>\n<li>Rumours claim there is additional context beyond the injury explanation.<\/li>\n<li>Sehwag does not think every rumour is automatically accurate, but believes the franchise should act decisively if the concerns are real.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Sehwag\u2019s view: keep Hardik for cricket, but act if the claims hold weight<\/h3>\n<p>During a discussion on Cricbuzz, Sehwag laid out his stance in plain terms. He said that if the situation is purely about cricket, then Hardik should be retained. However, if the rumours about dressing-room tension or off-field issues are true, then the franchise should release him. Sehwag also stressed that if the allegations are false, then Hardik must stay because he is a top-quality player.<\/p>\n<p>He added that, personally, he would want to keep Hardik regardless of the current noise. In his view, any dressing-room differences\u2014if they exist\u2014can be resolved, because a franchise needs everyone functioning as a unit. Sehwag argued that Hardik\u2019s value extends beyond headlines and that Mumbai Indians need him both as a player and as part of the team\u2019s overall balance.<\/p>\n<h2>Hardik\u2019s value versus IPL money: Sehwag\u2019s comparison with Rishabh Pant<\/h2>\n<p>Sehwag also weighed in on player value in financial terms, pointing to Rishabh Pant as the highest-priced player in the IPL at present. Pant was bought for Rs 27 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction, and Sehwag suggested that Hardik\u2019s on-field worth aligns more closely with that Rs 27 crore figure than with his current salary.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Rishabh Pant is currently the most expensive player in the IPL after his Rs 27 crore purchase in the IPL 2025 mega auction.<\/li>\n<li>Sehwag believes Hardik\u2019s true value is around Rs 27 crore, rather than his present salary of Rs 16 crore.<\/li>\n<li>He also noted that Hardik produced good performances even in periods when he was not Mumbai Indians\u2019 captain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Sehwag further remarked that the gap between the numbers is not as big as critics might assume, stating that Rs 16.35 crore is \u201cvery little\u201d in the context of Hardik\u2019s overall quality. He concluded that Hardik should be considered a \u201cRs 27 crore player,\u201d reinforcing his argument for retention.<\/p>\n<h2>What happens next for MI and Hardik<\/h2>\n<p>Mumbai Indians still have two matches remaining before their IPL 2026 campaign reaches its conclusion. The key question now is whether Hardik will return in either of the final fixtures and rejoin the playing XI after missing the Thursday encounter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mumbai Indians bounced back to winning form in the IPL 2026, recording their fourth victory of the campaign in a thrilling win over Punjab Kings&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9876,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"MI vs PBKS: Bumrah Leads as Hardik Pandya Missing","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"MI outclass PBKS again as Jasprit Bumrah fires\u2014Hardik Pandya\u2019s back-spasm absence sparks IPL 2026 questions about MI\u2019s plans and captaincy.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9877","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO 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