Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya is reportedly going to miss the upcoming match against Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2026. In Pandya’s absence, middle-order batsman Suryakumar Yadav will lead the five-time IPL champions in the afternoon game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Saturday, April 4.
Mumbai made a positive start to their IPL campaign with a win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on home soil. They chased the target of 221 runs without much pressure throughout the innings. Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma attacked from the start and made a partnership of 148 runs, which included 80 runs in the powerplay.
Hardik Pandya to miss match against Delhi Capitals, Suryakumar Yadav will lead
According to Devendra Pandey from Indian Express, Hardik Pandya will not play in the match against Delhi Capitals. The journalist confirmed that Suryakumar Yadav will lead the team.
“I’m told Surya can lead today. Hardik is not playing #MIvsDC,” he wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Pandya did not take part in the preparations of Mumbai Indians in Delhi. The team held two practice sessions before the match, but the all-rounder was absent in both.
MI make great start to IPL 2026 with dominant chase against KKR
Mumbai Indians started their IPL 2026 campaign with an impressive performance against Kolkata Knight Riders. The team, which set out to chase the target of 220 runs, showed its intentions from the very beginning and never allowed any pressure to build.
Rohit Sharma scored 78 runs, while Ryan Rickelton added 81 runs. Their aggressive approach helped Mumbai gain control early and get close to the target comfortably. The chase was completed with six wickets remaining and five balls remaining.
Hardik Pandya finalized the innings by scoring unbeaten 18 runs in 11 balls. However, he struggled with the ball and conceded 39 runs in three overs while taking one wicket.
If Pandya misses the match against Delhi Capitals, it could affect the balance of the team as he contributes in both departments and leads the team. Despite that concern, Mumbai Indians have a strong record against Delhi Capitals, having won four of their last five matches and both encounters in 2025.
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