Not Hardik Pandya Or Suryakumar Yadav, Mumbai Indians To Play Under New Captain In IPL 2026 Game vs PBKS

Mumbai Indians may play under a new captain for their IPL 2026 match against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala on Thursday. Regular captain Hardik Pandya missed the previous two matches due to back spasm, though a report suggested that he trained for three hours alone on Tuesday night. Pandya himself posted videos of his batting training. Suryakumar Yadav led MI in the matches that Pandya missed. Even he is unavailable for the game against PBKS.

The report in Cricbuzz stated that tickets have been booked for both; however, the duo is yet to arrive in the hill city. "Sources said tickets had been booked for both players, but there is no immediate confirmation of either making the trip," the report stated.

The report added that Yadav's absence was understandable as he has recently been blessed with a baby girl and "the franchise has always been sensitive towards family matters". MI are anyways out of contention for a playoff berth.

Pandya's absence sparked a social media buzz that he may be traded to any other team. However, the report added that there is no possibility of Pandya being traded to another franchise.

In Pandya and Yadav's absence, Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma are the leading choices to be the stand-in captain. However, it is not clear yet who will be chosen. The report added that Rohit Sharma, a five-time IPL-winning captain, is "unlikely" to be asked to take over the role temporarily.

It has been a challenging period for five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians without regular skipper Hardik Pandya, but the game moves on, all-rounder Corbin Bosch said on Wednesday.

A narrow loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur on Sunday knocked Mumbai Indians out of playoff contention this season, with Pandya missing the match due to a back spasm.

The clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru was the third group-stage game Pandya missed this season, having also sat out the away fixture against Delhi Capitals and the home game against Lucknow Super Giants.

"It's obviously been tough. Hardik is not only a leader but a fantastic cricketer as well. We've missed his presence when it comes to the on-field stuff," Bosch told reporters on the eve of MI's contest against Punjab Kings.

"I'm sure the people that are making decisions and the people that are looking after him are trying to do the best for him and for the team itself.

"It has been tricky but at the same time the game does move forward and we still need to play cricket so it's one of those things," Bosch added.

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Topics mentioned in this article

Hardik Pandya Suryakumar Yadav Mumbai Indians Punjab Kings IPL 2026 Cricket