Mumbai, April 7: In a significant boost for Mumbai Indians (MI), regular captain Hardik Pandya has fully recovered and will be part of the playing XI against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2026 match scheduled for Tuesday.

Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach Paras Mhambrey provided a crucial update on Pandya’s health during a press conference, stating, “Hardik Pandya will be available for the match on Tuesday. He was not injured; rather, he was unwell. He is now completely fit and healthy.”

Pandya’s return is a relief for MI, especially after his absence was felt in the bowling department during their previous match against Delhi Capitals.

So far in IPL 2026, Mumbai Indians have played two matches. They won their first match against Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets but faced a six-wicket defeat against Delhi Capitals in their second match. In that game, apart from Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, the other batsmen struggled to make a significant impact. Suryakumar scored a solid 51 runs off 36 balls, while Rohit contributed 35 runs off 26 balls.

In terms of bowling, Shardul Thakur and Corbin Bosch had disappointing outings. Thakur conceded 41 runs in three overs without taking a wicket, while Bosch gave away 39 runs in 3.1 overs, claiming just one wicket. However, Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar, and Mitchell Santner showed good form, with Bumrah conceding only 21 runs in four overs and Chahar taking one wicket for 20 runs. Santner also claimed a wicket, giving away 22 runs.

Batting first, Mumbai Indians scored 162 runs for the loss of six wickets in their 20 overs. However, Delhi Capitals chased down the target of 163 runs comfortably in just 18.1 overs, losing four wickets.

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