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Rohit Sharma's return to IPL 2026 hinted at by Hardik Pandya: ‘Not up to exactly where he wants’
Rohit Sharma misses MI match against SRH due to hamstring injury; Hardik Pandya confirms he needs more games before returning.
Rohit Sharma is not playing the Mumbai Indians’ match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium on today, with captain Hardik Pandya confirming at the toss that the senior opener needs “a couple of more games” before returning to action.
The update ended the suspense over Rohit’s availability after he missed MI’s recent games due to a hamstring injury. There was expectation around his possible return against SRH, but Mumbai decided not to rush him back into the XI.
Hardik Pandya confirms Rohit Sharma update at toss
Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and opted to bat first against Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, the bigger team news was Rohit’s continued absence from the playing XI.
“Rohit’s gonna take a couple of more games. He’s been trying, it’s not up to exactly where he would want, so not available for the team,” Hardik said at the toss.
The statement makes it clear that Rohit has resumed work towards a comeback but has not yet reached full match readiness. MI have therefore chosen to continue without him for another game, despite the importance of the fixture and the instability at the top of their batting order.
Rohit’s absence is a major talking point because Mumbai have struggled to settle on a reliable replacement at the top. Danish Malewar, who was tried in Rohit’s place, failed to make an impact in his two opportunities and was dropped for the SRH match. Will Jacks has joined the team and opened the batting as MI made changes to their XI.
The timing of Rohit’s absence is significant for Mumbai. The franchise entered the SRH game under pressure, having lost five of their first seven matches this season. Their batting has lacked consistency, and the opening combination has been one of the areas under scrutiny in Rohit’s absence.
The match also carries weight because SRH have been one of the stronger batting units of IPL 2026. They entered the fixture with five wins from eight matches and are firmly in the top-four race. Their aggressive batting style has already produced several high-scoring games this season, making MI’s team balance even more important at the Wankhede.
Mumbai, meanwhile, have had problems at home this season. They had already lost three matches at the Wankhede in IPL 2026 before facing SRH, making this fixture important for their campaign. With the tournament moving deeper into the league stage, every result now has a direct bearing on the playoff race.
For Rohit Sharma, the immediate focus remains fitness. His return will depend on how quickly he reaches the level required for match action. For MI, the challenge is to stay alive in the tournament while carefully managing one of their biggest players.
Rohit is not part of the MI XI against SRH, and Hardik’s update suggests fans may have to wait a little longer before seeing him back in Mumbai colours.
