Mumbai Indians (MI) are set to play their next fixture against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Dharamsala on Wednesday. However, MI skipper Hardik Pandya has not travelled to Himachal Pradesh. Another cricketer has also missed the trip to Dharamsala, seemingly due to paternal responsibilities.
As reported by Cricbuzz, Hardik was not among the players and staff who reached Dharamsala on Tuesday. The all-rounder had already sat out the previous outing against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Raipur, even though he had linked up with the squad a day before that face-off.
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The report further added that Pandya’s fitness status is being monitored by the support staff in Mumbai, and there remains a possibility
that he could still fly out to Dharamsala ahead of the match.
Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav has also stayed back and has yet to join the group in Dharamsala, though he is anticipated to link up with the team later. The senior MI batter, who recently welcomed a baby girl, has been captaining the side in Hardik’s absence.
Having only just embraced fatherhood, Suryakumar had reached Raipur on the day of the last fixture (May 10), after the franchise granted him the leeway to report late. A comparable arrangement may be followed for this game as well, with his arrival potentially closer to match day.
Mumbai Indians currently occupy ninth place on the points table with three wins from 11 games and are already out of contention for the playoffs, with three fixtures still to be played – against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on May 20 and versus Rajasthan Royals at Wankhede Stadium on May 24, in addition to Wednesday night’s encounter against Punjab Kings.
