'Don’t know when he will be back': MI star makes huge admission on Hardik Pandya’s fitness

Mumbai Indians (MI) won their third game of the IPL 2026 after they beat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by six wickets. Former IPL champions chased down the 229 runs needed to win with ease, with Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton scoring match-winning fifties. One notable omission was that of skipper Hardik Pandya, with Suryakumar Yadav leading the side in his absence. 

When asked to comment on Pandya missing the game, Yadav had said that the all-rounder wasn’t well. The 32-year-old wasn’t spotted in the dugout as well, which left many fans surprised. Ambani-owned franchise then released a statement which read, “Hardik Pandya is unwell with a back spasm, hence Suryakumar Yadav is the captain for today’s game."

Player of the match, Rickelton, was asked to comment on Hardi’s likely return. Th 29-year-old said, “I don’t know the extent of the injury, and I myself came to know about this this afternoon. Not sure how he is feeling, but he should be back before we head to Raipur this week."

Former Indian batter praises Rohit Sharma’s impact. 

Veteran batter Rohit made his much-awaited return to the game on Monday. The 39-year-old former MI skipper scored his second fifty of the season with his knock of 84, which came off 44 balls with six boundaries and seven huge sixes. The opening wicket stand of 143 came inside 11 overs, which helped the home team get off to a great start. 

Suresh Raina, during his chat with the host broadcaster, praised the innings from the veteran batter. 39-year-old former India star said, “He struggled at the start, scoring 15 runs off 15 balls, but then he was on 54 off 28 balls. Rohit went on the attack after Avesh Khan was introduced into the attack, which changed the momentum of the game."

CSK legend lauds former MI skipper for his awareness

Chasing a huge total, Mumbai needed to get off the blocks in quick fashion. Rickelton set the ball rolling with a few lusty blows to put the visitors under pressure. Prince Yadav bowled a very good first over, giving away just six runs. Sadly, none of the other bowlers was able to keep the pressure on the hosts. 

While reviewing the game, Raina said, “He (Rohit) picked out Avesh as the weakest link and went after him with a few boundaries and sixes, which changed the course of the game. This is where his class stands out, and this is the proper definition of game awareness”.