New Delhi: Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya Revealing important clues about his whereabouts through his latest Instagram Story, the star all-rounder is training at the Reliance facility in Mumbai amid doubts over his availability for MI’s IPL 2026 match against Kings XI Punjab in Dharamshala on Thursday.The all-rounder, who missed Mumbai Indians’ previous match against Royal Challengers Bangalore due to back spasms, shared a video of himself practicing to show that he is gradually getting back to fitness.
However, despite resuming training, Hardik did not travel to Dharamsala with the first batch of MI players on Tuesday, Cricbuzz reported.His absence from the visiting squad once again puts his availability in doubt ahead of Wednesday’s game. MI support staff are reportedly continuing to monitor his condition before deciding whether he will join the squad at a later date.
Hardik Pandya’s Instagram Story
Mumbai Indians Head Coach Mahela Jayewardene It was earlier confirmed that Hardik has been battling a back issue and is still undergoing treatment.“Hardik has a back problem which we are trying to correct but it is not resolved yet. The medical staff is treating him. He has not been able to train in the last few days so we don’t want to take any chances,” Jayawardene said after MI’s loss to RCB.He further added, “We’ll see. It’s day-to-day. See how he feels. Then we’ll take a decision on that.”Since MI have been eliminated from the IPL 2026 playoffs, it is unlikely that the team will press for the captain’s return without full fitness clearance. Still, Hardik’s latest training update has inspired optimism among fans and it remains to be seen whether he will link up with the team ahead of the Kings XI Punjab match.
