Captain Hardik Pandya has finally linked up with the Mumbai Indians’ (MI) squad in Raipur ahead of their IPL 2026 encounter against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Sunday, May 10, at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium. Hardik will be seen leading MI, having missed their previous game against the Lucknow Super Giants due to a back spasm. He seems to have recovered from the issue now.
Mumbai are in dire need to win all of their remaining league-stage matches of the ongoing season to make it to the top four ahead of the playoffs. Any slip-up here or there will mean their elimination from the race, and thus, Hardik’s arrival comes as a huge boost for the Mumbai-based franchise, who have six points on the board after 10 matches and are placed ninth on the points table currently.
Mumbai Indians uploaded a picture of Hardik at the team hotel in Raipur upon his arrival in the city, which will be hosting Match No. 54 between the five-time winners and the defending champions. It is noteworthy to mention that there were rumours of Hardik missing the upcoming clash as he had not recovered from his back injury, which are now put to rest.
Check Hardik Pandya’s arrival in Raipur ahead of RCB vs MI encounter below
Checked-in Raipur ✅ pic.twitter.com/hXkssQF5zr
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) May 7, 2026
If MI win the upcoming contest, it will solidify their chances for qualification, while if they lose to the Bengaluru-based franchise, they will be eliminated from the competition, while RCB will move to the top of the points table with 14 points after eleven matches.
How can MI qualify for IPL 2026 playoffs post losing to CSK?
Meanwhile, the visitors might miss the services of star batter and vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav, who recently welcomed the birth of his first child as his wife Devisha Shetty delivered their baby girl on Thursday. Suryakumar is expected to spend time with his family during this joyous occasion. Thus, at least a couple of changes are expected for the next tie, with Hardik coming in and Suryakumar being out.
