New Delhi: Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya on Wednesday provided an important update on the veteran’s return ahead of their IPL 2026 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium, with Rohit Sharma’s absence once again thrust into the spotlight.After winning the toss, Hardik elected to bat first but confirmed that Rohit was still not ready to play. “Rohit will play a few more games. He has been working hard but is not quite at the level he wants to be and so cannot help the team,” Hardik said, effectively ruling out his absence in the near future while hinting at a gradual route back.Live score: MI vs SRH, IPL 2026
MI suffers multiple setbacks
It’s not just Rohit who is missing out. opening remarks Quinton de Kock It was also ruled out after a wrist problem was discovered.Hardik explained the changes: “Mitchell (Santner) was unlucky and so was Queenie today. He just did something to his wrist…Ryan (Ricklton) replaced Queenie. We had Robin Mintz.”Despite the disruption, the MI captain remains optimistic about the team’s preparations. “It’s important for all of us to reset and not get too complicated… just have a couple of good boys’ nights. We’ve had a good training session and ticked all the boxes… now it’s just about getting excited about the games,” he added.“Just hit the ball and see how many we can score”Explaining his decision to bowl, Hardik said the conditions looked perfect for batting. “It looks like the weather is nice, the wind is light… I don’t think dew is going to be a factor. We’re just going to bat and see how many we can score,” he noted, while also stressing the importance of leading from the front.“We just want to come out and play our best cricket… it will definitely help the team,” he added.Cummins backs SRH bowlers to adaptMeanwhile, SRH skipper Pat Cummins was ready for a slightly trickier surface. “It looked like the wicket might be a bit sticky, happy to bowl first,” he said.Cummins emphasized flexibility: “You just have to reset your expectations every game…This course may ask for something different, so keep a clear head.”The Australian also highlighted his leadership style: “Obviously, I gather information when I’m bowling… If someone wants a big win, I put my arm around them. Hopefully they can feel some sympathy. “
MI vs SRH line-up:
Mumbai Indians XI: Ryan Rickelton (female), Will Jacks, Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (centre), Robin Minz, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar.Sunrisers Hyderabad XI: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora (w), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins (c), Harsh Dubey, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge, Eshan Malinga.
