The TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is in the business end of the competition, as the tournament enters the last two phases of the group stage, with two to three games remaining for most sides. Already, two teams, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Mumbai Indians (MI), have been eliminated from the tournament.
Ahead of the Mumbai Indians’ next match, against the struggling Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala, there has been some big news coming from the camp. Hardik Pandya has not travelled with the team ahead of their next clash. The skipper has missed two games in a row for the franchise and is under huge pressure after poor captaincy and the team’s dismal performance.
Suryakumar Yadav doubtful against PBKS?
Apart from Hardik Pandya, MI’s stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav has also not travelled to Dharamsala. However, his absence is understandable for personal reasons, as he and his wife, Devisha Shetty, have recently been blessed with a baby girl. SKY has been captaining the side since the last two games.
Suryakumar Yadav, who joined the side on the day of the previous match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after becoming the father of a girl. He also did not have the best of outings in that game, being out for a golden duck with the wicket picked by former India teammate Bhuvneshwar Kumar, as his string of low scores continued.
Suryakumar Yadav has scored 195 runs in 11 innings with an average of 17.73. The fans and the management are not happy with his performance. There might be a chance once Hardik arrives, SKY might also be dropped from the squad, given the form he has been going through post the T20 World Cup 2026.
Hardik Pandya is out of the PBKS clash
Hardik Pandya has not yet recovered from the back spasms he suffered before LSG’s game. The MI players and support staff landed in the city on Monday afternoon, but the captain was not present.
Pandya's absence from the travelling group could imply a longer absence for the all-rounder; however, there is still time for the MI skipper to join the side as the match is on 14th May.
MI needs to finish off the season well
Hardik also has not fired with the bat nor with the ball. He has scored 146 runs in 8 games with an average of nearly 20, and has a drop in the strike rate as well, of 136.44. And with the ball, he has picked four wickets with an average of 61.50 and an economy of 11.90. There have been rumours of Pandya leaving the franchise after this IPL.
The Mumbai Indians have had a terrible season in IPL 2026. In 11 games, they have won just three matches and lost eight. After qualifying for the playoffs last season, they have failed to keep their best performances this season, as some of the key players, like Jasprit Bumrah, Ryan Rickelton, and Tilak Varma. Except, PBKS MI have against KKR and versus RR on May 24.
from Cricket Addictor https://ift.tt/N2wVuQU
