Hardik Pandya And Suryakumar Yadav IPL 2026 (Source: AFP)
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru is set to host five-time IPL winners Mumbai Indians in today’s evening match at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, New Raipur.
The match number 54 of the ongoing IPL 2026 is set to be contested between two of the fiercest teams in the league’s history, featuring legends like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. However, the focus will be on whether Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav will play the match against RCB.
What happened to Hardik Pandya?
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has experienced a miserable IPL 2026 campaign, both as a player and as the skipper.
The star Indian all-rounder has been unable to perform with both bat and ball. On top of that, under his leadership, MI have lost 7 of the 10 matches they have played thus far.
In their last game against Lucknow Super Giants, a must-win tie, fans were left surprised when Suryakumar Yadav walked out for the toss in place of Pandya.
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After the toss, SKY confirmed that Pandya was not keeping well, so he temporarily took charge of the team. Later, the franchise revealed that Pandya was nursing a back spasm.
Will Hardik Pandya play vs RCB
MI, however, has yet to provide any formal update on Hardik Pandya's condition, while the players are also tight-lipped.
When asked about their captain, Ryan Rickleton said, "I don't know when he's expected to be back. I only found out this afternoon that he had back spasms. So I'm not aware of the extent of it - I wouldn't even call it an injury - or how serious it is or what he's feeling. But I'm sure he'll be back with the group as we head to Raipur this week."
Furthermore, it was revealed that the MI captain joined the squad in Raipur on May 6. Thus, it is expected that Hardik will return to action against RCB.
Latest update on Suryakumar Yadav’s availability vs RCB
In significant news, Suryakumar Yadav did not travel to Raipur with the Mumbai Indians squad for their IPL 2026 match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Reports suggested that he stayed back for personal, family-related reasons.
Later, it was understood that his wife, Devisha Shetty, was expected to deliver their first child.
On May 7, Suryakumar and Devisha announced the news of the birth of their daughter via social media, thus confirming the reports' truth.
Final take on Suryakumar Yadav’s return in RCB vs MI
As per recent reports, Suryakumar Yadav is expected to play for the Indians against RCB today in Raipur. Despite missing team travel due to the birth of his daughter, reports indicate he has confirmed his availability and must have joined the squad by Saturday evening.
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