Ryan Rickelton Issues Hardik Pandya Injury Update; Will MI Captain Return Vs RCB?

Hardik Pandya injury update issued by Ryan Rickelton [Source: AP]

Mumbai Indians' opener Ryan Rickelton issued the Hardik Pandya injury update after his side accomplished an iconic IPL run chase against Lucknow Super Giants. 

Mumbai Indians rediscovered their winning formula in the IPL 2026, defeating LSG in a high-scoring encounter at Wankhede Stadium on Monday night. 

While Rohit Sharma made a memorable return to the team, MI's regular skipper Hardik Pandya missed out on selection due to a back spasm. 

In the absence of Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav led the five-time champions against the Super Giants. 

Although LSG posted a daunting total of 228 runs, Mumbai Indians chased the target comfortably, riding on a match-winning partnership between Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton. 

Hardik Pandya missed MI Vs LSG match due to a back spasm

Hardik Pandya's journey in the IPL 2026 hasn't been quite remarkable. The ace allrounder has registered a string of failures with the bat, besides going for almost 12 runs an over with the ball. 

As if his middling returns weren't enough, Pandya suffered another setback in the tournament, with a back spasm sidelining him from the must-win clash against LSG. 

However, MI performed brilliantly as a unit in his absence, registering a historic chase and securing their third group-stage win of the season. 

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Ryan Rickelton emerged as Mumbai Indians' hero with the bat, amassing 83 runs off just 32 deliveries. After the game concluded, the swashbuckling wicketkeeper provided the Hardik Pandya injury update. 

Ryan Rickelton issues Hardik Pandya injury update before MI Vs RCB

Speaking on the Hardik Pandya injury, Ryan Rickelton said that he wasn't aware of the MI captain's unavailability for the LSG clash until the Monday afternoon. 

Although he didn't give an exact timeline of the Mumbai skipper's return to the playing XI, Rickelton reckoned that Pandya would travel with the MI IPL 2026 squad to Raipur ahead of the high-octane MI Vs RCB match. 

"I don't know when he's expected to be back. I found out this afternoon that he had back spasms, so l'm unaware of the extent of it. I don't want to call it an injury; I'm unaware of the extent of how bad it is or what he's feeling. But I'm sure he'll be with the group again as we head to Raipur this week," Rickelton said while providing the Hardik Pandya injury update. 

What could be MI's playing XI vs RCB if Pandya remains on the sidelines?

Mumbai Indians are set to face RCB in their eleventh group-stage match on May 10. The contest will be played at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. 

Considering Hardik Pandya's career has been marred by injury setbacks in the past, the MI team management might adopt a cautious approach. If the veteran allrounder is rested against RCB, we'll see Suryakumar Yadav leading the team for the third time in IPL 2026. 

Meanwhile, as Mumbai Indians emerged victorious against the Super Giants, they will likely stick to the same combination, with Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Corbin Bosch, Jasprit Bumrah and Will Jacks playing key roles for them. 

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