Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya is missing the IPL 2026 match against Delhi Capitals because he is unwell. In his absence, Suryakumar Yadav is leading the side. MI has also made three other changes to their playing XI, bringing in Deepak Chahar, Corbin Bosch, and Mitchell Santner for the clash.
Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya is missing from the team’s IPL 2026 clash against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday, April 4. The MI won the opening match against the Kolkata Knight Riders at Wankhede Stadium, kick-starting their quest for a record sixth IPL triumph on a winning note.
DC, on the other hand, kicked off their hunt for a maiden IPL triumph with a victory over Lucknow Super Giants at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. The Mumbai Indians and the Delhi Capitals have headed into their respective second outings of the season looking to maintain momentum after winning the opening matches of their campaign.
However, the five-time IPL champions made a change in their playing XI, with the Mumbai Indians opting to rest their regular skipper Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav taking over captaincy duties in the clash against the Delhi Capitals.
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Why Hardik Pandya is not Playing from MI vs DC Clash?
When Suryakumar Yadav walked out for the toss instead of Hardik Pandya, the fans and spectators immediately noticed the change, sparking curiosity over the absence of the Mumbai Indians’ regular skipper in the crucial clash against the Delhi Capitals.
Confirming at the toss, stand-in captain Suryakumar stated that Hardik was unwell and wasn’t fit for the away clash against the Capitals, thus taking over captaincy duties in his absence.
“He’s not well, doesn’t look good, so he was not fit for today’s game. So just getting into his shoes today,” Suryakumar Yadav said.
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Suryakumar Yadav is leading the Mumbai Indians for the first time since captaining the Men in Blue to the T20 World Cup triumph in February this year. Following India’s T20 World Cup title defence success, there was a growing call for him to take on leadership duties in the IPL, and today he stepped in to lead the Mumbai Indians in Hardik Pandya’s absence.
Suryakumar led the Mumbai Indians only twice in IPL, each in 2023 against Kolkata Knight Riders in Rohit Sharma’s absence and 2025 against Chennai Super Kings in Hardik Pandya’s absence.
MI Makes Three Changes
Mumbai Indians have made a few changes in their playing XI for the clash against Mumbai Indians. Deepak Chahar was brought in place of Hardik Pandya, while Corbin Bosch replaced Trent Boult, and Mitchell Santner returned to the playing XI by replacing Allah Ghazanfar.
“Quite a few changes. Deepak Chahar comes in for Hardik. Corbin Bosch comes in for Boulty, that’s a tactical change. Boulty had a good game in the last game at Wankhede. And Mitch Santner comes in for Allah Ghazanfar,” Suryakumar said at the toss.
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The Mumbai Indians will look to clinch their first away win of the IPL 2026, as the five‑time champions aim to continue their strong start to the season despite the absence of their regular skipper.
Under the leadership of Hardik Pandya in the last IPL season, the Mumbai Indians reached the playoffs, making a comeback from their disappointing campaign in the 2024 edition, but lost to the eventual runners-up Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2 in Ahmedabad.
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