Mumbai Indians are likely to be without their stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav for the crucial clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday, May 10. The T20 World Cup-winning captain did not travel to Raipur as the rest of the team left Mumbai for the Chhattisgarh capital on Wednesday, May 6.
To make it even more difficult for the five-time champions, Full-time captain Hardik Pandya also did not travel with the team. Pandya, who missed the recent win against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) due to back spasms, was noticeably absent as the team assembled at Terminal 1. Sources indicated that it is currently not confirmed that Pandya will join the team closer to the match day.
However, Mumbai Indians players and support staff traveled to Raipur in separate batches, according to news agency PTI reports. With limited flight connections between Mumbai and Raipur, it remains to be seen how these staggered travel arrangements will affect their training plans ahead of the must-win game.
Opening batsman Ryan Rickelton recently touched on Hardik’s absence, admitting he was unaware of the injury until Monday afternoon, although he remained optimistic about the skipper’s return.
“I don’t know when he’s expected back. I only found out this afternoon that he had back cramps. I’m not aware of the extent of them or what he’s feeling. But I’m sure he’ll be back with the group when we head to Raipur this week,” Rickelton said.
If both Suryakumar and Pandya remain unavailable, the captaincy may revert to veteran Rohit Sharma. However, this comes with its own risks as Rohit is currently managing a hamstring injury. Team management will likely wait until Sunday morning to assess his fitness before introducing him as a leader on the pitch.
ROHIT’S PAISA VASOOL RETURN
Rohit’s fitness remains the focal point after his spectacular comeback against LSG on Monday. Despite entering the game as an Impact Player and opting not to enter, the Hitman looked in his old form.
Chasing a daunting target of 229 at the Wankhede, Rohit silenced any doubts about his dismissal with a masterful 84 from only 44 deliveries. His innings, which included seven towering sixes and six boundaries, formed the backbone of a record 143 runs in the opening stand with Rickelton. It was a performance described by former spinner Harbhajan Singh as “a complete paisa vasool” (worth every penny) for the fans, keeping Mumbai’s slim play-off hopes alive.
If the senior trio is ruled out, Mumbai may have to look at Jasprit Bumrah or youngster Tilak Varma to steer the ship.T
his stakes couldn’t be higher. Mumbai Indians are currently in a precarious position, having secured just three wins from their first ten matches. To have any chance of making the playoffs, they need to win all four of their remaining games and hope other results go their way.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
06 May 2026 20:05 IST
