Mumbai Indians are likely to be without their stand-in captain, Suryakumar Yadav, for the crucial encounter against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday, 10 May. The T20 World Cup-winning skipper did not travel to Raipur when the rest of the squad departed Mumbai to reach the Chhattisgarh capital on Wednesday, May 6.
To further complicate matters for the five-time champions, full-time captain Hardik Pandya has also not travelled with the team. Pandya, who missed the recent victory against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) due to a back spasm, was noticeably absent when the squad assembled at Terminal 1. Sources have indicated that there is currently no confirmation that Pandya will join the team closer to match day.
However, according to reports from the PTI news agency, the Mumbai Indians’ players and support staff have been travelling to Raipur in separate batches. With limited flight connectivity between Mumbai and Raipur, it remains to be seen how these staggered travel arrangements will impact their training schedules ahead of a must-win game.
Opening batter Ryan Rickelton recently touched upon Hardik’s absence, admitting he was unaware of the injury until Monday afternoon, though he remained optimistic about the skipper’s return.
“I don’t know when he’s expected to be back. I only found out this afternoon that he had back spasms. I’m unaware of the extent of it or what he’s feeling. But I’m sure he’ll be back with the group as we head to Raipur this week,” Rickelton said.
Should both Suryakumar and Pandya remain unavailable, the captaincy may fall back to the veteran, Rohit Sharma. However, this presents its own set of risks, as Rohit is currently managing a hamstring injury. The team management will likely wait until Sunday morning to assess his fitness before naming him as the leader on the field.
ROHIT’S PAISA VASOOL RETURN
Rohit’s fitness remains the focal point following his spectacular return against LSG on Monday. Despite entering the game as an Impact Player and opting not to field, the Hitman looked in vintage form.
Chasing a daunting target of 229 at the Wankhede, Rohit silenced any doubts about his layoff with a masterful 84 off just 44 deliveries. His innings, which included seven towering sixes and six boundaries, formed the backbone of a record-breaking 143-run opening stand with Rickelton. It was a performance described by former spinner Harbhajan Singh as “complete paisa vasool” (worth every penny) for the fans, keeping Mumbai’s slender playoff hopes alive.
If the senior trio is ruled out, Mumbai may have to look towards Jasprit Bumrah or the young Tilak Varma to steer the ship.T
he stakes could not be higher. Mumbai Indians are currently in a precarious position, having secured only three wins from their first ten matches. To stand any chance of reaching the playoffs, they must win all four of their remaining fixtuures and hope other results go their way.
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