MI Give Major Injury Update On Hardik Pandya Ahead Of Must-Win IPL 2026 Clash vs RCB, But There's A Good News
Mumbai Indians face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a crucial IPL 2026 encounter in Raipur on Sunday. RCB are in the top four and are in a prime position to qualify for the playoffs, while MI are fighting to stay relevant in the playoff race
- Mumbai Indians' captain Hardik Pandya missed their game vs LSG due to back spasm
- Ahead of their game vs RCB in Raipur, MI said: "Pandya continues to be evaluated by the medical team"
- Stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav missed the Raipur trip but will return to play against RCB
Mumbai Indians face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a crucial IPL 2026 encounter in Raipur on Sunday. RCB are in the top four and are in a prime position to qualify for the playoffs, while MI are fighting to stay relevant in the playoff race. MI missed their regular captain Hardik Pandya in their previous match against Lucknow Super Giants and will most likely miss the RCB match too. Pandya suffered a back spasm. Ahead of the match, MI shared an update: "Hardik Pandya continues to be evaluated by the medical team, and they will inform the team on his progress. Suryakumar Yadav is coming tomorrow."
According to a report in Cricbuzz, there was never a doubt over Suryakumar Yadav's availability, who did not travel with the team to Raipur earlier in the week.
Yadav and wife Devisha Shetty welcomed a baby girl on Thursday. "With giggles, bows, and dreams to unfurl - we welcome our baby girl," the Indian cricket team's T20 captain wrote on Instagram. Suryakumar on Wednesday was not among the first batch of MI players who went to Raipur for the IPL 2026 team's next match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday. Yadav even captained MI in their last match against Lucknow Super Giants. MI and his teammate Deepak Chahar congratulated Yadav on the occasion.
Ahead of their much-anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 'home' fixture against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Raipur on Sunday, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) squad took time away from the field to immerse themselves in the rich culture and traditions of Chhattisgarh, experiencing the region's local food, music, art and heritage in an expo that brought the team closer to the spirit of the state.
RCB, who played their first five home matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, are going to have the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur as their venue for the remaining two 'home' games in IPL 2026, as per prior commitment.
RCB captain Rajat Patidar said he enjoyed the cultural experience in Chhattisgarh. He highlighted the traditional music, drum performances and dances as memorable, and added that learning about the region's tribal communities and their history made the visit especially meaningful.
"I really liked it, especially when we entered and they played traditional music with drums while people were dancing. We also got to learn about the tribal communities here and their history, which was really special," said Rajat Patidar
Mumbai Indians
Hardik Pandya
Royal Challengers Bengaluru