By 
NEW DELHI: Sunday is set to witness a blockbuster IPL 2026 clash between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, but the match comes with a major setback for Mumbai Indians. Star allrounder Hardik Pandya will miss the high-profile encounter scheduled to be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur.Pandya had also missed Mumbai Indians’ previous game against Lucknow Super Giants due to a back spasm.
In his absence, Suryakumar Yadav captained the side against LSG and will continue to lead the team against RCB as well.“Hardik continues to be evaluated by the medical team and then they will inform us on his progress. The second one is Surya’s coming in tomorrow (vs RCB),” Mumbai Indians announced during the pre-match press conference ahead of the clash against RCB.
Poll
Which player do you think will step up the most in absence of Hardik Pandya?
RCB, who are set to play their first of two matches at the new home venue, head into the contest after suffering a narrow nine-run defeat against Lucknow Super Giants. The loss marked their second successive defeat in the tournament. Despite the back-to-back setbacks, RCB are currently placed third on the points table owing to their superior net run rate. However, another defeat could put their top-four position under serious pressure, especially with several teams closely packed in the standings.Meanwhile, five-time champions Mumbai Indians enter the clash with renewed confidence after registering their third win of the season. MI defeated Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets in a high-scoring encounter in their previous outing.Currently placed ninth on the table with six points from 10 matches, Mumbai Indians face a virtual must-win situation. Another defeat could make them the first team to be eliminated from the IPL 2026 playoff race.Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Rajat Patidar (captain), Virat Kohli, Tim David, Jacob Bethell, Romario Shepherd, Josh Hazlewood, Nuwan Thushara, Devdutt Padikkal, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Rasikh Dar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jordan Cox, Suyash Sharma, Venkatesh lyer, Swapnil Singh, Jacob Duffy, Kanishk Chouhan, Abhinandan Singh, Mangesh Yadav, Phil Salt, Satvik Deswal, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra.Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Robin Minz, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Shrijith Krishnan (wk), Bevon Jacobs, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Will Jacks, Keshav Maharaj, Raj Angad Bawa, Vignesh Puthur, Corbin Bosch, Trent Boult, Karn Sharma, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley, VS Penmetsa, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Jasprit Bumrah.
