Hardik Pandya missed out on MI's last IPL match (Source: AP Photos)Mumbai Indians (MI) did not have Hardik Pandya as their captain during their previous IPL 2026 outing against Delhi Capitals (DC), which took place on Saturday afternoon at Arun Jaitley Stadium. In his place, Suryakumar Yadav took over the leadership duty.Under Suryakumar, MI lost to DC, as Sameer Rizvi single-handedly knocked over Jasprit Bumrah-led attack to chase down a 163-run target with six wickets in hand.Therefore, MI fans would like to see Hardik Pandya back in action as soon as possible, and their coach on Monday broke the silence on this subject. Let's see if Hardik Pandya will play today's MI vs RR, IPL 2026 match. Paras Mhambrey Opens Up On Hardik Pandya's IPL ReturnMumbai Indians will next play Rajasthan Royals on April 7 in Match 13 of IPL 2026. Ahead of the match, MI bowling coach Paras Mhambrey opened up on whether Hardik Pandya would be available for the RR vs MI IPL 2026 match.During the press conference, Mhambrey confirmed that Hardik had trained with MI, and will be available for selection against Rajasthan Royals.“Hardik Pandya is available. He had a couple of nets session. He is fine. He was not injured, but was unwell. That’s the reason he was unavailable last game," MI bowling coach Paras Mhambrey told the reporters.Also Read: Wanindu Hasaranga's IPL 2026 Participation In Dark CloudsWhy Did Hardik Pandya Miss Out On DC Vs MI Match?Last time, Hardik Pandya did not play the DC vs MI IPL 2026 match due to illness. Suryakumar Yadav confirmed that he was unwell, and hence, he could not be available for the match against Delhi Capitals.Not to forget, Mumbai Indians did not have any designated vice-captain, with Rohit Sharma, SKY and Jasprit Bumrah among the big names. Yet, the five-time IPL champions gave the captain’s hat to Suryakumar Yadav.Who Has Replaced Hardik Pandya In MI Playing XI Vs DC?As Pandya was not available for the DC vs MI match, Mumbai Indians brought in Deepak Chahar in their playing XI.Chahar did well to be fair, conceding only 20 runs off his three overs, that too with the all-important wicket of KL Rahul.Now, with Trent Boult not featuring against DC either, it would be interesting to see MI’s playing combination against RR with Hardik Pandya returning to the mix.Mumbai Indians IPL 2026 So FarMI are currently placed sixth on the IPL points table, having won once and lost once. Courtesy of a hammering defeat to DC, their net run rate went down to -0.206.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Delhi Capitals (DC), Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are above them.On the other hand, KKR and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) sit at the bottom of the IPL points table.While KKR are ninth, with zero wins in two attempts at a net run rate of -1.964, CSK are at the bottom of the table, with three defeats in three matches. Their net run rate is also depressing, at -2.517.Also Read: Rain Arrives At Eden Gardens During KKR Vs PBKS IPL 2026 Match
