MI skipper Hardik Pandya didn’t travel with the rest of the players to Dharamsala for their IPL 2026 clash against Punjab Kings. He remained in Mumbai, continuing his rehabilitation as the all-rounder shared clips of the same on Instagram. In the video, he was spotted batting against throwdown specialists and net bowlers.
Notably, Pandya has been out of action in the last two games as he is currently recovering from a back spasm. Interestingly, he joined the rest of the squad for Mumbai’s high-voltage clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru over the weekend and was expected to be a last-minute addition to the playing XI, but the team management decided against it. He wasn’t given medical clearance, as the team doctors are monitoring his fitness.
Now, someone who was close to returning to action on Sunday and is not travelling with the squad for a game on Thursday has sparked controversy again. Recently, he unfollowed Mumbai Indians on Instagram and followed back, which only adds to the reports of a possible rift. Now, him training alone in Mumbai adds more layers. However, it is possible that Pandya links up with the squad tonight or on the matchday.
Suryakumar Yadav doesn’t travel to the squad either
Adding to the situation, Suryakumar Yadav did not travel with the squad to Dharamsala. His absence is linked to personal reasons following the recent birth of his child, though he is expected to join the team later. He has also been leading the side in Pandya’s absence.
In the meantime, Mumbai are eliminated from the playoffs race. They suffered eight defeats in 11 games and are currently ninth on the points table. Earlier, Pandya had indicated that the team might need an overhaul to change the results, but Mumbai refrained from dropping their senior cricketers.
Both Suryakumar and Jasprit Bumrah have disappointed so far in the season and on top of that, Tilak Varma has been extremely inconsistent. It all eventually added to Mumbai’s poor show this season.
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