Hardik Pandya was ruled out of Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2026 clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday, May 10, due to back spasms.
The Mumbai Indians captain missed his second consecutive game after failing to receive clearance from the franchise’s medical team ahead of the crucial encounter at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium.
In Hardik’s absence, Suryakumar Yadav is leading the five-time IPL champions once again. Surya had also captained MI in their previous IPL 2026 fixture against Lucknow Super Giants at Wankhede Stadium on May 4.
Mumbai Indians have retained the same playing XI for the must-win contest against RCB. Veteran opener Rohit Sharma continues to partner wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton at the top, while Jasprit Bumrah spearheads the pace attack alongside Deepak Chahar and Corbin Bosch.
RCB have also gone unchanged despite entering the contest on the back of consecutive defeats against Gujarat Titans and LSG.
The match carries major playoff implications. A win for RCB would take them to the top of the IPL 2026 points table, while a defeat for Mumbai Indians would officially end their playoff hopes. MI currently sit ninth on the table with just six points.
