Will Hardik Pandya play in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Mumbai Indians (RCB vs MI) IPL 2026 match on May 10 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Raipur? The question remains, as there are no detailed reports in the public domain over the injury status of the MI skipper.
Hardik Pandya missed the Mumbai Indians’ previous match, which was against the Lucknow Super Giants on May 4. Because of a back spasm, the pace-bowling all-rounder and the leader of MI was not available to take the field that night.
Hardik Pandya is likely to join the Mumbai Indians, ahead of the RCB match in New Raipur.
Later, it was further reported that Pandya was not spotted with the team at the airport. Mumbai Indians reportedly took the flight to Raipur without their regular captain, Hardik Pandya. The match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be on May 10.
Ahead of the match, MI has a few days in hand to get prepared for the crucial clash. It is now believed that Pandya can join the team in New Raipur, ahead of the RCB vs MI match day.
Hardik Pandya did not travel with the first batch of MI
In a report, The Times of India claimed that Hardik was advised to rest for about a week to recover fully from the back spasm he sustained during the match against the Chennai Super Kings. As per the advice, Pandya did not travel with the first batch of the team to Raipur for the next fixture. But he will join the squad soon, ahead of the game, which will be on Sunday.
“Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya is likely to join the squad in Raipur on Thursday for their fixture against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday. The all-rounder didn’t travel with the first batch of players on Wednesday and will link up with the squad later. It is reliably learnt that Pandya was advised a precautionary rest for about a week after the back spasm he sustained against the Chennai Super Kings,” TOI reported.
Suryakumar Yadav is doubtful for the RCB match
The report further confirmed that there are some concerns over Suryakumar Yadav’s availability for the match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Yadav, who took the role of the stand-in captain in the ongoing season a couple of times, is an integral part of the team.
Like Pandya, Yadav also did not travel with the team on Wednesday. Jasprit Bumrah, Tilak Varma, Quinton de Kock, and some other foreign players are also in the list of absences. It is reported that there is suspense over Suryakumar’s participation in the next fixture as the middle-order batter might miss it for personal reasons.
As of now, there is no certainty over both Hardik and Suryakumar Yadav for the RCB match, which is another must-win game for the Mumbai Indians. If both of them are unable to play the match, then who will lead the team against RCB? The question remains.
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