Dharamsala/Navi Mumbai: Mumbai Indians are already out of the playoff race in the 19th season of the Indian Premier League, so their remaining wins may not carry much significance for them. However, those results could still impact the fortunes of other teams, and keeping that in mind, the MI squad had an intense training session in Dharamsala on Tuesday. At the same time, Hardik Pandya was seen undergoing extensive practice at Reliance Corporate Park, something that immediately caught attention. Hardik reportedly trained for nearly three hours.
Hardik had missed the matches against Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru due to back pain, but after such an extensive practice session, there is a possibility that he could return to action soon. However, according to one report, Hardik may still miss Thursday’s match against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala.
MI have repeatedly stated that Hardik is recovering from his back injury. Yet, the lengthy practice session on Tuesday indicates that he could well be available for Thursday’s game.
Hardik Pandya trains in Mumbai while rest of the squad are in Dharamsala. pic.twitter.com/I5OHcqyTTH
— CricketGully (@thecricketgully) May 13, 2026
According to a report in a leading English daily, all is not well inside the MI dressing room. Hardik has struggled for form as a player, while the team under his leadership suffered an early exit from the tournament. In such circumstances, his absence from two consecutive matches has naturally sparked several discussions within cricket circles.
The five-time champions reached Dharamsala from Chandigarh on Tuesday, but neither Hardik nor stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav was part of that travelling group. Speaking of Suryakumar, it is worth mentioning that his wife Devisha recently gave birth to a baby girl.
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Mumbai’s remaining three league matches are as follows: against Punjab in Dharamsala on Thursday, against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on May 20, and against Rajasthan Royals at Wankhede Stadium on May 24.