The Mumbai Indians pulled off a major surprise right before the start of their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match against the Lucknow Super Giants on Monday. Fans were left scratching their heads as Suryakumar Yadav walked out for the toss, with captain Hardik Pandya missing the game. Surprisingly, even Hardik’s MI teammate Ryan Rickelton did not know about the skipper’s injury until Monday afternoon. After the match concluded, Rickelton revealed what had actually happened.
Hardik, who has faced significant criticism during Mumbai’s poor run this campaign, paved the way for Rohit Sharma‘s return to the team. Another change made to the side saw Corbin Bosch replacing Trent Boult, while the rest of the lineup remained unchanged.
When MI’s stand-in skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, was asked about the reason behind Hardik’s absence, he stated that the all-rounder “was not well.” However, it has since been revealed that Hardik was sidelined due to back spasms.
“I don’t know when he is expected to be back. I found out myself this afternoon that he had back spasms. I don’t know the extent of the injury or how bad it is. I am not sure how he is feeling, but I am sure that he will be with us again as we head to Raipur this week,” Rickelton said during the press conference when asked about Hardik’s return and the nature of the injury.
While the precise details of Pandya’s condition remain unclear, Rickelton remained hopeful that the star all-rounder would rejoin the team soon for the upcoming fixtures.
Regarding the match itself, MI opted to bowl first. Knocks from Nicholas Pooran (63 off 21 balls, with one four and eight sixes), Mitchell Marsh (44 off 25 balls, with six fours and three sixes), and Himmat Singh (40* off 31 balls, with two fours and two sixes) propelled LSG to 228/5.
However, a 143-run partnership between Rickelton (83 off 32 balls, with six fours and eight sixes) and Rohit (84 off 44 balls, with six fours and seven sixes) helped MI make light work of the target, completing the chase in 18.4 overs.
MI currently sit in ninth spot with three wins and seven losses, while LSG are at the bottom of the table with two wins and seven losses.
With ANI Inputs
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