Hardik Pandya's Mumbai Indians Availability For Further IPL Participation Out

Hardik Pandya [Source: AP]

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya missed the high-voltage match against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. 

In his absence, Suryakumar Yadav led the five-time champions, who were thumped by the home side, courtesy of a sensational knock from Sameer Rizvi. Batting first, MI posted a respectable total of 162 runs for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs. 

While Rohit Sharma contributed 35 runs to the tally, Suryakumar Yadav slammed a valiant half-century, scoring 51 runs off 36 deliveries. 

Although Deepak Chahar dismissed KL Rahul in the very first over, Sameer Rizvi hammered 90 runs off 51 balls, powering them to a commanding win with eleven balls to spare. 

Mumbai Indians missed Hardik Pandya vs Delhi Capitals

Hardik Pandya's absence adversely affected the Mumbai Indians in their second group-stage match against Delhi Capitals. He could certainly have bailed MI out of trouble and picked crucial wickets during DC's run chase. 

However, as revealed by stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav, Pandya missed the highly anticipated match due to illness. After Mumbai Indians lost the game convincingly by six wickets, a massive update on the Hardik Pandya availability for the IPL 2026 was surfaced. 

Will Hardik Pandya play RR Vs MI IPL 2026 match?

After a heavy defeat to Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Mumbai Indians are getting ready to take on the in-form Rajasthan Royals in the 13th group-stage match of the tournament. 

Although Hardik Pandya missed the game against DC, he is all set to return to the MI playing XI vs RR for match 13 of the IPL 2026. 

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According to a TOI report, Pandya travelled to Guwahati with the rest of the MI IPL 2026 squad members to feature in the RR clash at Barsapara Stadium. 

The report reveals that Pandya's condition was not severe and he was rested against Delhi Capitals as a precautionary measure. Therefore, he will likely make his IPL comeback and lead MI against the Royals on April 7. 

MI IPL 2026 journey so far

Five-time IPL champions MI had a magnificent start to the 2026 season, as blistering knocks from Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma powered them to a historic run chase at the Wankhede Stadium. 

Pandya picked the crucial wicket of the well-set Angkrish Raghuvanshi, while also remaining unbeaten on 18 runs during the successful run chase. 

However, the skipper was unfortunately sidelined from the subsequent fixtures, with MI making several noticeable changes to their playing XI vs DC. 

New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner replaced Allah Ghazanfar, while Corbin Bosch entered the MI playing XI as a replacement for Trent Boult. 

However, despite the presence of several impactful players in the MI IPL 2026 squad, the five-time winners were comprehensively outplayed by the Capitals at Arun Jaitley Stadium. 

Although veteran batters KL Rahul and Nitish Rana were dismissed in quick succession, Sameer Rizvi sustained his purple patch, playing another match-winning knock and securing the prestigious Orange Cap. 

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