Hardik Pandya set to miss the remainder of IPL 2026? Here's the update

The Mumbai Indians (MI) registered their third victory of the IPL 2026 edition against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Wankhede Stadium on Monday. They defeated LSG by 6 wickets while chasing their highest-ever target in IPL history. Several significant changes were made to the MI squad for this match. Former MI captain—and the heartbeat of Mumbai—Rohit Sharma made his return to the team after missing the previous five matches due to a hamstring injury. Additionally, Raj Bawa, Corbin Bosch, and Deepak Chahar also secured spots in the playing XI. 

However, the biggest surprise occurred at the toss, when Suryakumar Yadav stepped up to flip the coin in place of regular skipper Hardik Pandya. Following the toss, while providing an update on Hardik, Surya stated that Hardik was not feeling well today and, consequently, would not be playing in the match. This is the second occasion in this season when Surya came for the toss in place of Hardik. Before this, Hardik also missed the fixture against the Delhi Capitals earlier this season, and surprisingly, MI won both matches where Hardik was absent.  

Winning the toss, MI elected to bowl first. Batting first, LSG posted a formidable total of 228/5, featuring half-centuries from Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh. Nevertheless, MI went on to win the match by 6 wickets, powered by magnificent performances from Rohit Sharma (84 off 44) and Ryan Rickelton (83 off 32).

Now, if certain reports are to be believed, MI may well continue to field this very squad for their remaining fixtures. This implies that Hardik is unlikely to feature in the MI playing XI again this season, and Suryakumar Yadav will continue to helm the team. According to reports, Hardik Pandya is currently not in a very good mental state. Consequently, the Mumbai Indians management has advised him to take some rest and return to the field fully refreshed.

Who will be the MI captain?

Furthermore, some reports also suggest that the MI management is considering appointing Suryakumar Yadav as the permanent captain for the upcoming season. In Hardik Pandya's absence, Surya often captained MI. He is also India’s T20I captain. Apart from Surya, Tilak Varma’s name is also in contention for MI's next captain. 

Only time will tell what the true implications of this move will be. Will the Mumbai Indians release Hardik Pandya once again, or will they now consider retaining him solely as a player?

Before the 2024 IPL auction, Hardik Pandya was acquired by the Mumbai Indians from the Gujarat Titans via an all-cash deal. Hardik had already been demanding the captaincy of MI; indeed, upon rejoining the franchise, he was handed the leadership role. However, this move ultimately backfired on the Mumbai Indians. Under Hardik's captaincy, the Mumbai Indians finished at the bottom of the table in 2024 and reached to Qualifier 2 in 2025.

While in this season, MI has almost been eliminated from the playoffs race. They have only 6 points in 10 matches. From here, they will have to play 4 more fixtures. Even if the Mumbai Indians manage to win all their remaining matches, their chances of reaching the playoffs remain nearly impossible. They have already lost all hope of direct qualification, and now only mathematical possibilities remain; however, considering the progress of this season, it is highly unlikely that any team will be able to qualify with just 14 points.