Will Hardik Pandya play against RCB in IPL 2026? Latest injury update and availability for MI's next match

Will Hardik Pandya play against RCB in IPL 2026? Latest injury update and availability for MI's next match originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Hardik Pandya missed MI's last game against LSG earlier this week.
• MI next face RCB in a must-win clash in IPL on Sunday.
• Hardik Pandya did not travel to Raipur for Sunday's clash.

What happened to MI captain Hardik Pandya?

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has experienced a nightmare IPL 2026 campaign, both as a player and as the skipper of MI side.

The star Indian all-rounder has been unable to perform with both bat and ball and under his leadership, MI have lost seven out of the 10 matches they have played thus far.

In their last game against Lucknow Super Giants, a must-win tie, fans were left surprised when Suryakumar Yadav walked out for the toss, alongside Rishabh Pant.

After the toss, SKY confirmed that Pandya was not keeping well and thus he temporarily took charge of the team. To the broadcaster, Yadav said: "Hardik Pandya is unwell with a back spasm, hence Suryakumar Yadav is captain for today's game."

MI, however, are yet to provide any update on Pandya's condition formally, while the players are also tight-lipped. When asked about their captain, Ryan Rickleton said: "I don't know when he's expected to be back. I only found out this afternoon that he had back spasms. So I'm not aware of the extent of it - I wouldn't even call it an injury - or how serious it is or what he's feeling. But I'm sure he'll be back with the group as we head to Raipur this week."