The Mumbai Indians are out of the IPL 2026 playoff race, but that does not mean Wednesday night in Kolkata is meaningless. For Hardik Pandya especially, these last few games matter. A lot. Since returning to Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2024, Hardik’s journey has been messy.
Injuries, patchy form, captaincy pressure and constant scrutiny have followed him around. Now, after missing three games with back spasms, he is expected to return against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens. The good news for MI is that both Hardik and Suryakumar Yadav trained at full intensity in Kolkata before the game. Both are likely to walk straight back into the XI after missing the last game, where Jasprit Bumrah captained.
Can MI finally put together one complete performance in what has been a forgettable season?
Hardik and SKY to return; spinner could come in
Hardik did not travel to Dharamsala for MI’s previous match and instead stayed back in Mumbai to recover and train. But he bowled and batted without restrictions in MI’s latest practice session, which has eased concerns around his fitness. Suryakumar Yadav, who missed the Punjab Kings clash due to personal reasons, is also available again.
Mumbai may also bring back Afghanistan spinner AM Ghazanfar if the Eden Gardens surface remains as helpful for spinners as it was during KKR’s game against Rajasthan Royals earlier this season. In the last game, MI played both Sherfane Rutherford and Shardul Thakur to strengthen the batting in the absence of Pandya and SKY.
Meanwhile, Quinton de Kock and Raj Bawa have already been ruled out for the season.
Predicted MI Playing XI vs KKR
Batting OrderPlayer1Rohit Sharma2Ryan Rickelton (wk) 3Suryakumar Yadav4Naman Dhir5Tilak Varma6Hardik Pandya (c)7Will Jacks 8Corbin Bosch 9Deepak Chahar10Jasprit Bumrah11Raghu Sharma12 (Impact option)AM GhazanfarRickelton shining; Bumrah surprisingly struggling
One bright spot in MI’s disappointing campaign has been Ryan Rickelton. The South African opener has been one of the best batters in IPL 2026. He has been leading the run-scoring charts this year for MI, having racked up 430 runs at an average of 47.77 (the best) and at a strike rate of 190.26 (the best). Against KKR, his record is superb as well, although the sample size is small. MI may already see him as a long-term piece heading into next season.
MI batters vs KKR in IPL
BatterRunsAverageStrike RateRohit Sharma116140.03131.18Suryakumar Yadav49040.83151.70Hardik Pandya41345.88165.86Ryan Rickelton143143.00170.23Hardik, though, needs a strong finish himself.
Hardik Pandya in IPL 2026
Credit: AP Photo/ Rafiq Maqbool via AlamyPandya’s numbers have fallen this year, and it has hurt MI. For India, he remains irreplaceable. But in the IPL, his stocks have gone down significantly. Alongside Rohit Sharma, he has been selected for the ODIs against Afghanistan but it is subject to fitness clearance.
Jasprit Bumrah’s season has been surprisingly underwhelming. After taking at least 15 wickets in every IPL season from 2016 to 2025, he has managed only three wickets in 12 innings this year. He has lacked steam. He should’ve rested but hasn’t the whole season. The T20 World Cup and IPL 2026 fatigue is there to be seen. Still, MI will trust him against KKR’s middle order, especially Rinku Singh, against whom Bumrah has an excellent record (3 out in 5 innings).
MI bowlers vs KKR in IPL
BowlerWicketsEconomyBest FiguresJasprit Bumrah257.795/10Hardik Pandya158.362/16Deepak Chahar138.814/29Shardul Thakur179.153/38Predicted MI Playing XI vs KKR: Are Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav confirmed to play? Inside Sport India.
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