Amid MI's fitness issue statement, Hardik Pandya posts video of batting in nets ahead of PBKS clash

Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya has missed two games on the trot. The official word from the MI camp is that he is recovering from back spasms. Amid rumours of rift in the MI dressing room as they have been knocked out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 playoffs race, Pandya took to his Instagram and posted a video of him batting in the nets. The all-rounder was sporting the MI training kit and practicing range-hitting. The video has gone viral on social media.

For the previous game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Pandya did not travel to Raipur with the initial batch. He linked up with the squad late. A report claimed that he has been advised a week's rest to recover from back spasm. Also, the MI staff said that the call on his availability for RCB game will be taken close to the game.

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Suryakumar doubtful for PBKS game too?

Meanwhile, MI's stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav did not travel with the squad to Dharamsala. Suryakumar and his wife recently welcomed his first child and returned to lead MI against RCB. It is unclear whether Suryakumar will be playing in the PBKS game considering that the five-time IPL champions are already out of the playoffs race. 

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Hardik Pandya’s struggle for form in IPL 2026

In the ongoing season, Hardik has struggled for form. From eight games, he has scored 146 runs at an average of 20.85 and strike rate of 136.44. With the ball, he has managed to bag just four wickets at an average of 61.50. His economy rate has been poor at 11.90 runs per over.

Loss of form, out of playoffs race

It is not just Hardik, but MI’s star players have been out of form. Jasprit Bumrah is nowhere near purple cap race, Suryakumar has not been among runs, Tilak Varma hasn’t fired barring the century in a losing cause. Trent Boult has been bashed around the park as well. On top of it, injuries and unavailability of players has affected their team combination, leading to instability as the MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene pointed out. 

Currently, MI are placed ninth on the points table with eight losses from 11 games. They are ahead of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on the basis of net run rate (NRR).