New Delhi: In a big boost for Mumbai Indians, their captain Hardik Pandya will be available for the IPL 2026 match against Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey confirmed on Monday.“He will play, he trained in the nets for a few hours yesterday. He is fit and in good condition. To clarify, Hardik is not injured, he is unwell and that is why he is out of the game,” Mambre said at the pre-match press conference.Pandya, a key figure in the team, had missed the previous games of MI due to illness and his absence proved costly in Saturday’s six-wicket loss to Delhi Capitals.While India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav stepped in and ensured continuity, the five-time IPL champion missed out on Pandya’s all-round ability on tawdry pitches.His absence also forced adjustments to the mix. Deepak Chahar came into this match in fine form but the decision to replace experienced left-armer Trent Boult with all-rounder Corbin Bosch backfired and the South African’s runs leaked.Despite picking up two wickets early in the second over, MI could not prevent DC from chasing the target of 163 runs with 11 balls and six wickets to spare.Shardul Thakur, who starred in the opening game, was expensive in the last game, while the always reliable Jasprit Bumrah, though affordable, is yet to open an account this season.In the spin department, Mitchell Santner has justified his selection over Afghanistan mystery spinner Allah Ghazanfar and is likely to retain his place.However, the MI bowlers need to up their game against a top-order Rajasthan side that has been in superb form so far.RR opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and teenage starlet Vaibhav Sooryavanshi provided an explosive start before Dhruv Jurel continued the momentum.New captain Riyan Parag is yet to make a major contribution with the bat but he will take confidence from his leadership, especially his tactical decisions at the death, which led Royals to a thrilling victory over the Gujarat Titans.Among the bowlers, Tushar Deshpande and Ravi Bishnoi were impressive.Bishnoi is the joint-leading wicket-taker with five scalps in two matches, marking a strong turnaround after a challenging 2025 season in which he has struggled in multiple facets of his game.Deshpande, meanwhile, displayed his lethal bowling skills and managed to hold on for 10 runs in the final over against Titans, conceding only 4 runs against a series of pinpoint yorkers.Mumbai, who are currently sixth in the points table, are looking to bounce back while second-placed Rajasthan are riding high on confidence and the outcome of the match may depend on how effectively MI’s bowlers deal with Royals’ in-form top order.
