Is Hardik Pandya Dropped by Mumbai Indians? MI New Skipper REVEALED

Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter between Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, the Mumbai-based franchise have made a striking change, bringing the team into the headlines. Hardik Pandya, the skipper of Mumbai Indians is missing out the game against LSG, getting replaced by Suryakumar Yadav as the captain.

The decision was made ahead of the toss at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Suryakumar Yadav MI Captain announced the change which surprised and shocked the fans.

Why is Hardik Pandya Dropped Against LSG?

As per the reports and sources, captain of Mumbai Indians, Hardik Pandya is unwell and has been dropped from the side for their fixture against Lucknow Super Giants. Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed as the replacement skipper for the franchise. Hardik Pandya Skipper Replaced by young Indian all-rounder Raj Bawa, who will be playing his first IPL game in this season.

Mumbai Indians have struggled a lot in the ongoing IPL season, making them one of the first teams to not qualify for the playoffs. From 9 matches, the franchise has only won 2, showcasing the immense struggle and strain for the team. Rohit Sharma has been missing out on games due to an injury, making the squad more weak and vulnerable. The inclusion of one of the best batsman in IPL will be crucial for the home team.

In recent games, Hardik Pandya has also not been able to perform as per the team's requirement. During the last game against CSK, the lad played a knock of 18 runs from 23 balls.

Why Rohit Sharma Was Not Picked as Skipper?

Former Mumbai Indians captain, Rohit Sharma has been suffering from a hamstring injury, which made him miss a few fixtures in the ongoing 2026 Indian Premier League season. The veteran batter has been recovering from the injury and that's the reason why he has not been made the skipper for MI in the absence of Hardik Pandya. Suryakumar Yadav is also the vice-captain of Mumbai Indians, which makes him the ideal captain in the absence of team's skipper.

For the match against Lucknow Super Giants, Rohit Sharma has been added to the impact substitutes list and is expected to open the innings with Ryan Rickelton. The batter is an important aspect for the Mumbai team, which will make his return help the team get to winning ways in the current and upcoming fixtures.