Suryakumar Yadav available for the PBKS vs MI IPL 2026 match? Check details

The 5-time champions, Mumbai Indians, have already been eliminated from the IPL 2026 playoffs race. Hardik Pandya & co. have been struggling from the initial matches of the tournament. Apart from that, the team also faced a couple of injury concerns as well. They will face the Punjab Kings in their next match at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala, on May 14. However, it is still not confirmed who will lead the Mumbai Indians. Regular skipper Hardik Pandya is currently missing the ongoing fixtures due to his back spasm. So far, Suryakumar Yadav has been leading the team in the absence of Hardik. But, according to reports, Suryakumar Yadav is still not joining the MI squad due to personal reasons. 

A couple of days ago, his wife, Devisha Shetty, gave birth to a baby girl. Suryakumar Yadav is currently on his father’s duties and might miss the match against the Punjab Kings. According to reports, he was supposed to arrive in Dharamshala this morning, but he still hasn’t reached there. So, if regular skipper Hardik Pandya and interim captain Suryakumar Yadav both miss the match, then who will lead the side? 

However, this season is not going well for Suryakumar Yadav at all, and he has been continuously struggling with his form. In 11 innings this season, he has scored a mere 195 runs at a poor average of just 17.72, which includes only one half-century.

Now, a few reports indicate that Tilak Varma is likely to captain the Mumbai Indians in PBKS vs MI. Today, Tilak Varma is set to make his captaincy debut in the IPL for the Mumbai Indians. If Tilak Varma will captain MI today, he will be MI’s 9th captain. Before him, Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Ricky Ponting, Dwayne Bravo, Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav have led the Mumbai Indians. 

Tilak Varma has led India A in the 2024 T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup, showing his growth into a leadership role. Under his captaincy, India A reached to the semi-finals of the tournament.

The Mumbai Indians are currently in 9th position, having 6 points in 11 matches, and have already been eliminated from the playoff race. Additionally, it is anticipated that MI would enter the field with a few changes, giving young players a chance in the starting lineup and veteran players a break. In this match, Jasprit Bumrah might take a rest. He has been struggling in the initial stages of the tournament, clinching only 3 wickets in 11 matches.  

They want to end their campaign with a couple of victories. After the Punjab Kings, the Mumbai Indians will also take on the Kolkata Knight Riders on May 20 and the Rajasthan Royals on May 24 in their last two matches.