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The short answer based on what is currently known is that it looks unlikely. Hardik Pandya did not travel with the Mumbai Indians squad to Raipur on Wednesday May 6 when the rest of the players assembled at Terminal 1 of Mumbai airport ahead of the May 10 clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

IPL 2026: What we know about Hardik Pandya's injury and why questions persist

As per Cricbuzz there is no immediate indication that Pandya will join the team closer to the match. That is a significant detail. Not travelling with the squad and no confirmed plan to join later suggests the back spasm issue that kept him out of the LSG game on May 4 is more serious than the franchise has publicly acknowledged.

The official MI position has been consistent. Pandya missed the LSG game because of back spasms. The franchise released a statement on May 4 saying he was unwell with back spasm and that Suryakumar Yadav was captaining as a result. Suryakumar at the toss said he was not well and everything else was fine.

MI officials were at pains to emphasise there was nothing more to read into the absence. Ryan Rickelton after the game said he had only found out that afternoon about the back spasms and did not know the extent of it or when Hardik would return. "I'm sure he'll be back with the group as we head to Raipur this week," Rickelton said.

But Pandya not travelling with the squad on Wednesday contradicts that expectation and raises the obvious question of whether something more is going on.

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The IPL 2026 form picture and timing for Mumbai Indians

Whether Pandya's absence is purely medical or involves other considerations the numbers around his IPL 2026 season make uncomfortable reading. He has scored 146 runs in eight games at a strike rate of 136.45 and taken four wickets.

As captain across 37 matches and three seasons he has a win percentage of 37.83 with 14 wins and 23 losses. MI sit ninth with three wins from ten games. His captaincy and performance have not been the turnaround story that MI needed when they appointed him and the team's most emphatic win of the season came in the game he missed.

The timing is also worth noting. Hardik Pandya looked physically fine at Chepauk on May 2 when he bowled two overs and batted at number six scoring 18 off 23 balls in a performance that was more reflective of his overall season than of any visible physical discomfort.

What it means for MI's crucial IPL 2026 game vs RCB at Raipur

MI then won the very next game without Hardik Pandya against LSG. That win alongside the questions about his fitness and his form has created a narrative that the franchise is managing carefully.

MI have four games remaining. Against RCB in Raipur on May 10. Against PBKS on May 14. Against KKR on May 20. Against RR on May 24 at home. In the best case scenario they can reach 14 points which makes playoff qualification extremely difficult.

Whether Pandya plays in Raipur depends on how the back spasm responds over the next four days. Given he did not travel with the squad on Wednesday the probability of him playing on May 10 is low but not zero. An update from the MI camp in the next 48 hours will clarify the picture more definitively.

Also READ: Royal Challengers Bengaluru home games in Raipur: How and where to buy IPL 2026 match tickets