MI vs LSG: Hardik Pandya Out, Suryakumar Yadav Leads; Rohit Sharma Returns

Mumbai Indians, currently struggling with consecutive losses in IPL 2026, have been dealt a significant blow. The five-time champions, who are striving to stay in the playoff race, must face Lucknow Super Giants in a 'do-or-die' match without their regular captain Hardik Pandya. In his absence, star batter Suryakumar Yadav is leading the side. However, the team has received a major boost as former captain and star opener Rohit Sharma has returned to the squad after recovering from injury.

Reason Behind Hardik Pandya's Absence

After suffering four consecutive defeats at their home ground, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Indians entered the match against Lucknow with Suryakumar Yadav at the helm, while speculations about Hardik's absence began when he wasn't seen during the team's pre-match practice sessions. These concerns were confirmed when Suryakumar Yadav arrived for the toss in the captain's attire. After winning the toss and opting to field first, Suryakumar revealed that Hardik was unwell and would So miss the match. This marks the second time this season that Hardik Pandya has been unavailable, having previously missed a match against Delhi Capitals due to fitness issues, where Surya also captained the side.

Rohit Sharma Returns After 5 Matches

A significant relief for Mumbai Indians is the return of Rohit Sharma, who is now fully fit. Rohit had sustained an injury while batting in the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, developing a problem in his right hamstring. He had to leave the field retired hurt and couldn't return to bat in that game. Since then, he had been sidelined for five consecutive matches. Although he has returned to the squad for this encounter, he's listed as an impact substitute and is expected to contribute primarily with the bat.

Team Changes and Debuts for LSG

In addition to Hardik Pandya, Trent Boult is also missing from the Mumbai Indians' lineup for this match. While Rohit Sharma returns to the squad in place of Hardik, South African all-rounder Corbin Bosch has been brought back into the side to replace Boult. On the other hand, the Rishabh Pant-led Lucknow Super Giants, who are also facing a string of losses, have made changes to their playing XI. Josh Inglis is making his debut for LSG, while Akshat Raghuvanshi is making his IPL debut. Ayush Badoni and Mukul Choudhary have been left out of the squad for this match.

Key Match Highlights and Playing XIs

Final Playing XIs for MI vs LSG

Lucknow Super Giants: Rishabh Pant (Captain, Wicketkeeper), Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Akshat Raghuvanshi, Himmat Singh, Mohammed Shami, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, Prince Yadav. Impact Bench: Siddharth M, Digbesh Rathi, Mayank Yadav, Shahbaz Ahmed, Abdul Samad.

Mumbai Indians: Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Ryan Rickelton (Wicketkeeper), Naman Dhir, Tilak Varma, Will Jacks, Raj Bawa, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar, Raghu Sharma, while impact Bench: Rohit Sharma, Mayank Rawat, Robin Minz, Shardul Thakur, Trent Boult.