India, May 6 -- Hardik Pandya's availability for the Mumbai Indians' next IPL 2026 match has come under fresh doubt after the MI captain did not travel with the squad to Raipur for the clash against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, as reported by Cricbuzz.

The development comes days after Hardik missed Mumbai Indians' six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium because of back spasms. Suryakumar Yadav led MI in that match, and the franchise's official explanation was that Hardik was unwell with a back issue.

Hardik's absence is significant because of the stage of the Mumbai Indians' season. MI are ninth in the IPL 2026 points table with three wins from 10 matches. They have only four league games left and can reach ...