IPL 2026: Hardik Pandya To Join Mumbai Indians Camp In Raipur, But Will He Play In RCB vs MI Clash?
IPL 2026: Mumbai Indians (MI) have been given a massive boost ahead of their high-stakes clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Star all-rounder and captain Hardik Pandya will link up with the squad in Raipur after sitting out the team’s last match with injury. The 32-year-old is expected to fly out of Mumbai on Thursday night to join his teammates, Cricbuzz reported on Thursday, May 7.
MI’s last game was against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on May 4 and Pandya missed the game due to recurrent back spasms. The captain wasn’t on Wednesday’s flight with the bulk of the players and support staff but his late night flight suggests he is on the mend.
Hardik Pandya’s Availability Rests with Medical Team
Hardik has arrived in Raipur but there is no official update whether the all-rounder will lead the side on Sunday, May 10 at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium. The all-rounder is to undergo a fitness test in a net session on Friday.
As per Cricbuzz, the final decision remains in the hands of the experts. “It is up to Nitin Patel and the medical team,” a Mumbai Indians source was quoted as saying when asked about the skipper’s availability. Hardik has had a testing IPL 2026 campaign so far, managing 146 runs and four wickets in eight appearances.
The Suryakumar Yadav Factor
There is also the intrigue of India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav’s status. Surya and his wife Devisha Shetty were blessed with a baby girl on Thursday. Surya is MI’s most consistent performer this season with 10 matches under his belt and a captaincy against LSG but whether he will take part in the Raipur leg is still up in the air.
According to reports, the MI management has left the choice to the player and he can remain in Mumbai with his family if he wishes to. If Surya skips the match and Hardik fails to clear fitness test, the five-time champions will have a rare leadership vacuum for the ‘must-win’ clash.
Mumbai Indians’ Playoff Hopes Hanging by a Thread
For Mumbai, the stakes could not be higher. They are currently ninth on the points table with just 6 points from 10 matches and the road to the playoffs is narrow for them. MI need to win all the four remaining league matches with huge margins to boost their Net Run Rate (NRR) to keep their slim hopes alive. The biggest question of the week is if their regular captain or their star batter, or both, will be on the pitch to guide them in Raipur.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
The post IPL 2026: Hardik Pandya To Join Mumbai Indians Camp In Raipur, But Will He Play In RCB vs MI Clash? appeared first on NewsX.
Comments are closed.