Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav have been ruled out for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026 match vs Punjab Kings at HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on Thursday.
Published: May 14, 2026 5:08 PM IST
PBKS vs MI IPL 2026: Five-time champions Mumbai Indians are already out of the race to reach the IPL 2026 Playoffs stages after winning only 3 matches in their first 11 games. To add to their troubles, MI skipper Hardik Pandya has been sidelined from action in the last few matches due to back spasms. It has now emerged that both Hardik Pandya and stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav will be missed the IPL 2026 match vs Punjab Kings at HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on Thursday.
Both Hardik and Suryakumar Yadav have not travelled to Dharamshala after leaving Raipur. While Hardik is reportedly suffering from back spasms, Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has recently become father for the first time and wants to spend time with his family.
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According to a report in Cricbuzz website, pacer Jasprit Bumrah is set to take up the mantle of MI captaincy now in the absence of both Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav. The development comes up in the midst of reports that Pandya is set to be traded out of Mumbai Indians team after the IPL 2026 season.
Bumrah is the most expensive player in the MI roster after being retained for Rs 18 crore ahead of the IPL 2026 season. But the 32-year-old pacer has never led the team in the Indian Premier League in his 156 matches.
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Although former India and MI captain Rohit Sharma is part of the playing 11 after recovering from a hamstring injury, it is unlikely that he will agree to take up the position again. Among the current group Bumrah and Tilak Varma are the leading contenders to lead MI team against PBKS.
Bumrah has been part of MI franchise since the 2013 season but has never led the side. He is the leading wicket-taker of the side with 186 wickets in 156 games at an average of 23.54. But he has been off-colour this year with only 3 wickets in 11 matches so far.
He had led India in two Border-Gavaskar Trophy Tests in Australia during the 2024-25 series and in one Test against England in Birmingham in 2022. After that Bumrah opted out of taking a long-term role due to his workload management.
The report in the Cricbuzz website ruled out possibility of Hardik Pandya being traded out of the team as well. After MI head coach said that Pandya’s back spasms were being monitored by the team physio, the all-rounder was seen training till late at night at the Reliance Corporate Park on Tuesday.
“With the season still ongoing, the franchise is neither entertaining nor discussing any such possibility, and Pandya is expected to continue with MI for the foreseeable future,” the report stated.
