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The Mumbai Indians achieved a victory over LSG who currently face performance challenges on Monday which provided the team essential confidence before their upcoming IPL 2026 match against RCB who defend their championship title. The teams will compete on Sunday even though MI has already experienced two losses before the commencement of their first match.

 

Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya sustained a back injury during the MI vs CSK IPL match. The injury prevented him from participating in the match against LSG which took place on Monday evening.

 

The team achieved victory without him, but the five-time champions would prefer to have Hardik available for their upcoming match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The player provides essential team equilibrium, but the main issue is whether Hardik will recover in time for the IPL match against RCB.

 

Hardik Pandya be fit for IPL 2026 match vs RCB? 

 

The latest update states that the injured MI skipper will arrive in Raipur on Thursday to join his team. He did not travel with the first batch of players but is expected to link up with the team three days before the RCB clash.

 

TOI report indicates that Hardik needs to take one week of precautionary rest because he suffered a back injury during the CSK game. The report added that a final call on his participation against RCB will be taken closer to match day.

 

The MI management expects Hardik to return for the following fixtures if he does not play in the RCB game.

 

Pandya's IPL 2026 form is headache for MI:

 

The Mumbai Indians team considers Hardik an essential player but his poor IPL performance has turned into a problem for the franchise. He entered the tournament after winning the T20 World Cup, but he has not delivered so far.

 

He has scored only 146 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 136. The all-rounder who delivers powerful hits has only hit four sixes during IPL 2026 while he faces severe difficulties in his performance.

 

His bowling numbers look even worse. The right-arm pacer has taken only four wickets, with an average of 61 and an economy rate of 11.90.

 

The former champions currently sit ninth in the table because they have only won three out of ten matches which has caused their poor performance throughout the season.

 

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Suryakumar Yadav's participation vs RCB:

 

The Mumbai Indians face another player problem because Hardik Pandya has medical issues. The team will have to manage without one of their important players during the RCB match on Sunday. Middle-order star Suryakumar Yadav did not travel with the squad to Raipur, leading to speculation that he is set to become a father and may miss the match.

 

The TOI report shows that SKYS availability for the next game remains uncertain. The right-handed batter will probably miss Sundays match but he might return for upcoming games.