Mumbai Indians The all-rounder Corbin Bush The absence of a regular captain has been acknowledged. Hardik Pandya Life has been tough for the five-time IPL champions this season, with the team struggling to recover from key moments that have gone against them during a disappointing campaign. Mumbai Indians are officially out of the race for the IPL 2026 playoffs after their narrow loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur on Sunday. Hardik Pandya was ruled out due to back pain.
The RCB fixture marks the third game in the league stage that Hardik has sat out this season after missing the away clash against Delhi Capitals and the home clash against Lucknow Supergiants. Speaking ahead of Mumbai Indians’ upcoming match against Punjab Kings, Bosh said the team has definitely missed their captain, as a leader and as a player, but added that the team still has to move forward despite the setback. “It was obviously tough. Hardik is not only a leader but also a brilliant cricketer. We have missed his presence when it comes to things on the field,” Bosh told reporters on the sidelines of MI’s match against Punjab Kings. “I’m sure the people who are making the decisions and the people who are looking after him are trying to do the best for him and for the team themselves. “It’s been tough but at the same time the game goes on and we still need to play cricket so that’s one of those things,” Bosh added. Indian T20 captain Surya Kumar Yadav In Hardik’s absence, he has led Mumbai Indians in all three matches and could once again captain the team when MI take on Punjab Kings on Thursday. Mumbai Indians are currently second from the bottom in the 10-team points table, and Bosh believes that the team’s failure to deliver a complete all-round performance is the main reason for their disappointing season. “We haven’t put together a complete game yet. One day the bowlers will do well and the batsmen will struggle a bit or (the next day) the batsmen will do well and the bowlers will struggle,” he said. “The key moments of the game that this team is known for winning, we didn’t do that this year.” “There may have been missed opportunities at key stages of the game that turned the game in the opposite direction. It’s a multitude of things but going into every game at the same time, we make sure we don’t miss a beat,” Bosh added.
