New Delhi: Mumbai Indians will be without their regular captain Hardik Pandya for their IPL 2026 clash against Delhi Capitals on April 4 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
In his absence, star batter Suryakumar Yadav stepped in to lead the five-time champions.
Hardik ruled out due to illness
At the toss, Suryakumar Yadav confirmed that Hardik Pandya was unavailable due to illness, ruling him out of Mumbai Indians’ first away game of the season.
“(Hardik) He’s not well. Just getting into his shoes today,” Suryakumar said after losing the toss and being asked to bowl first.
Mumbai Indians later issued an official statement reiterating that Hardik was unwell and would not take the field.
Changes in Mumbai Indians’ lineup
In Hardik’s absence, Mumbai Indians made a few key changes to their playing XI. Deepak Chahar was brought into the side, while South African all-rounder Corbin Bosch replaced Trent Boult.
In the spin department, Mitchell Santner returned to the lineup, replacing AM Ghazanfar. Santner had missed the previous match against Kolkata Knight Riders after not being available for selection at the time.
Delhi Capitals retain winning combination
Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals opted to go unchanged, sticking with the same lineup that secured a six-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants in their previous outing at the Ekana Stadium.
Led by Axar Patel, the Capitals entered the match with momentum on their side.
MI aim to build on winning momentum
Mumbai Indians came into the match after ending a 13-year jinx with a victory over Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium.
Suryakumar Yadav, who recently captained India to a T20 World Cup title, also brings leadership experience, having led Mumbai Indians in a couple of IPL matches earlier.
Playing XIs
Mumbai Indians:
Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Naman Dhir, Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah
Impact Player options: Mayank Markande, Robin Minz, Raj Bawa, Trent Boult, Ashwani Kumar
Delhi Capitals:
KL Rahul (w), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Axar Patel (c), Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Vipraj Nigam, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar
Impact Player options: Ashutosh Sharma, Auqib Nabi, Sameer Rizvi, Dushmantha Chameera, Karun Nair
Conclusion
Hardik Pandya’s absence is a significant blow for Mumbai Indians, but with Suryakumar Yadav at the helm, the team will look to maintain their momentum. The match promises an exciting contest as Delhi Capitals aim to continue their winning run while Mumbai seeks to adapt under stand-in leadership.