This will be Delhi’s first match at home after consecutive defeats against Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore. DC captain Axar Patel had expressed disappointment after those defeats, pointing to repeated mistakes and lack of luck.

But has Delhi really moved beyond those games? Will they be able to relive those memories when they return to the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday?

That mental block could play a vital role when they face CSK.

It will help that KL Rahul and Pathum Nissanka made a breakthrough in the last game. When the two bat well together, it is often a good sign for DC, and this could again be crucial.

Mumbai Indians are in need of overhaul after another disappointing IPL season. Now is the time for the management to take strict action against players whose personal interests and ambitions do not contribute to the welfare of the team. The next mega auction is an opportunity for the franchise to correct the mistakes made on the auction table, but the immediate need is to put the house in order and restore normalcy in the dressing room.

Mumbai Indians on Monday managed to mathematically survive in IPL 2026, but the writing is on the wall for the five-time champions as they face another season – the fourth in the last six years – without making the playoffs. The body language of the players and support staff reflected the long, painful summer endured by the franchise.For a team that has struggled to only three wins from ten matches, minute fine-tuning will not help; A complete makeover of the dressing room – which hasn’t been the hottest place since Hardik Pandya took over the captaincy Rohit Sharma – It is necessary. It is understood that the management was happy to maintain patience after the initial turmoil following the captaincy change, but patience is not their best friend at this point, as another wooden spoon finish in IPL 2026 looks likely.MI benefited from BCCI’s new retention policy ahead of the 2025 mega auction, allowing them to retain their ‘core’: Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma and Tilak Verma. Even other teams used the maximum retention slots, but MI was probably the only franchise that could sit at the auction table knowing that half of their playing XI had been selected.So what went wrong for a team that has superstars, leaders and four players who have led India at some point?‘Team’ is the keyword here as it turns out that after the change in captaincy the franchise is still dealing with a shaky dressing room and is constantly struggling to present a united front. For a team that used to pride itself on winning competitions out of nowhere, a perfect “team performance” has been missing for the past few seasons. There have been flashes of individual brilliance, but they have not been enough to add a sixth title to the cabinet.Even after the management has made it clear that Hardik is the captain for the foreseeable future, some people are either harboring captaincy ambitions or are promoting younger players to take over the reins. A senior player has been battling an undisclosed injury for a few seasons now, and some are happy to take it easy, even if it means missing almost a month of competitive cricket. Persistent rumors that the “core” group is not getting along are damaging the team atmosphereOn paper, there is no dearth of superstars and utility players in the MI camp in IPL 2026, but they have been left exposed tactically as the think tank still struggles to determine its ideal playing XI. Constant injuries haven’t helped, nor has inconsistency from the ‘core’.Tilak, strongly projected as the future leader of the franchise, had more than 400 runs in just one season across five editions. His good friend Suryakumar Yadav had a great 2025, but he continued his poor international form in IPL 2026 as well and scored only 195 runs in 10 innings. The lack of aggression from two key parts of the middle order hasn’t helped, nor have Hardik Pandya’s tremendous returns with the bat – 146 runs in eight innings.Rohit Sharma had made a great start to the season but was sidelined for almost a month due to a hamstring injury. Yet their inconsistency is not recent; The right-handed batsman’s only 500-plus run season for the franchise came in the 2013 edition.MI takes a lot of pride in retaining its players for as long as possible, but with the game rapidly evolving, the think tank needs to do better to stay one step ahead. Confident in his ways, he entered last year’s mini-auction with a much smaller purse. He seemed happy with the players he had and supported his strategies – a powerplay dominated by swing and a left-arm fast bowler. However, the reality hit them hard as the opposition batsmen dismissed the balls of Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult with ease. Even Jasprit Bumrah’s mastery disappeared with no support for the world’s premier fast bowler.The next mega auction is an opportunity for the franchise to correct the mistakes made on the auction table, but the immediate need is to put the house in order and restore normalcy in the dressing room. Complete changes are now required, and it is time that the management takes strict action on players whose personal interests and ambitions do not contribute to the interest of the team.

Hardik Pandya’s absence raises concerns ahead of Mumbai Indians’ clash against Lucknow Super Giants, with the MI captain set to miss another IPL 2026 game. As the tournament enters a crucial phase, the all-rounder’s fitness has now become a new concern for the franchise.

In his absence, Suryakumar Yadav steps in to lead MI, This is the second time this season that Pandya has missed a game. Although MI did not provide complete clarity initially, the situation became clear as updates emerged during and after the match.

MI vs LSG: highlighted | Achievement:

Speaking after MI’s win, opening batsman Ryan Rickelton admitted that even the players were not fully aware of the severity of the issue.

“I don’t know when he’s expected to be back. I found out this afternoon that he has back spasms, so I’m unaware of the severity of it. I don’t want to call it an injury; I’m unaware of how bad it is or what he’s feeling. But I’m sure he’ll be with the group again when we go to Raipur this week,” Rickelton said.

The update suggests that although the injury is not being considered a long-term setback, there is still no definite timeline for Pandya’s return.

Why didn’t Hardik Pandya play MI vs LSG?

Mumbai Indians confirmed before the match that Pandya was unavailable due to back spasms.

The issue reportedly came to light closer to the game, with MI stating that the all-rounder was “unwell”, leading to Suryakumar taking over the captaincy duties. This was the second match that Pandya has missed this season, before which he sat out the match against Delhi Capitals.

Back spasms, although not always serious, can be difficult to manage, especially for an all-rounder who contributes with both bat and ball. As things stand, Mumbai Indians are expected to take a cautious approach before sending their captain back into the playing eleven.

How did MI beat LSG?

Despite missing their captain, MI produced one of their most complete performances of the season.

LSG made a strong score of 228 runs for 5 wickets with the help of Nicholas Pooran’s 63 runs on 21 balls, Mitchell Marsh’s 44 runs and Himmat Singh’s unbeaten 40 runs.

However, MI made light work of the chase.

A strong partnership of 143 runs between Ryan Rickelton (83 runs off 32 balls) and Rohit Sharma (84 runs off 44 balls) put the game away early. Even a slight glitch in the middle overs didn’t manage to derail the target and MI reached 229 with eight balls to spare.

The win helped MI break their losing streak, but with the team still placed ninth with three wins from ten matches, getting Pandya back fit could be crucial for any final push. IPL 2026.

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MS Dhoni (Image Credit: BCCI/IPL)

New Delhi: When will MS Dhoni play? Will he appear today? What is his injury status? These questions are trending on social media, with CSK fans eager to see their superstar in action. Dhoni has not played any match so far this season due to calf injury and this issue has come to the fore once again. Chennai Super Kings bowling coach eric simmons Addressed the media ahead of the IPL 2026 clash between Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings.Simmons said that Dhoni has not traveled for the match against Delhi Capitals, although he is continuously improving.More than halfway through the season, CSK are set to play their 10th match of what has been a tremendous campaign. As has been the case every season since his international retirement, speculation is rife over the 44-year-old Indian great’s future in the IPL.It was no surprise in the pre-match conversation that the first question was on Dhoni, who has been batting in the nets recently.“update on ms dhoni Well above my pay grade. He is not with us (in Delhi), but is continuously improving. He’s ready when he’s ready, and he knows when he’s ready to play,” was all Simmons had to say on the team icon.Speaking about the bowling unit, Simmons praised Anshul Kamboj, who has impressed at all stages and is the joint-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets.“Anshul is gone. You see Anshul is not there today this season, he started last year. The things we worked on, he went into the domestic season and especially worked on different angles of approach at the crease to be more accurate with his yorkers. We have introduced round the wicket, which is no secret now.“There’s a lot of nuances to what we’re doing around the wicket that make him particularly effective. He’s taken wickets and has been able to limit the run rate as well. But I think it’s really his professionalism, the way he trains,” Simmons said.“If you stand next to me and see the way he trains, the way he understands what he has to do, the simplicity I talked about, that clarity, I think a bowler in the modern game has to be very clear about what he wants to do. He is very clear about his strategy, and he is also very clear about what his field setting is. There’s no gray area for that,” Simmons said.With four wins from nine matches, CSK finds itself in a must-win position for the remaining five league games. They reached Delhi after a comprehensive win over Mumbai Indians. Simmons is confident that his team can still make it to the playoffs from here.“There has been a bit of a gap between the top four and the rest, but our destiny is still in our hands and we know we can beat any team in the league. So if we keep playing to our potential, there is no reason why we can’t top the table. When we play well, we really look unbeatable,” he said.

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh said fans got their money’s worth after Rohit Sharma’s match-winning performance in Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2026 clash against Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday. Rohit scored 84 runs in 44 balls, which included six fours and seven sixes. MI achieved the target of 229 runs in 18.4 overs. Have to win by four wickets.

When Suryakumar Yadav announced at the toss that Rohit would return, the Wankhede Stadium erupted in loud cheers. After Rohit’s match-winning innings, Harbhajan said that the fans felt it was complete ‘worth the money’ to see him at his best in Mumbai.

MI vs LSG: highlighted | Achievement:

“Rohit’s return has really brought life back into this ground. You can hear the roar everywhere, chants of his name are echoing all around. He did not disappoint at all, played a brilliant innings and entertained everyone. Many people who were already leaving after the match said it was ‘worth the money’ to see Rohit Sharma bat today,” Harbhajan told the broadcasters.

‘I wish his injury would heal soon’

Harbhajan said that if only Rohit Sharma had recovered from his hamstring injury earlier, he believes Mumbai Indians could have won more matches. He said MI should aim to win all their remaining games, reach 14 points and then assess how net run rate or even weather factors like rain could affect their play-off chances.

“I just wish that his injury had healed earlier. If he had played the earlier matches which he lost, Mumbai would have had a chance to win some of them as well, which would have made their path forward better.

“From here, I would say if they win all their matches, at least give themselves a chance. Reach 14 points first, and then see what happens. You never know, rain can come, net run rate can change, things can change suddenly,” Harbhajan said.

Despite the win over Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians finished ninth on the table with six points and a net run rate of -0.649. They will aim to extend their winning streak when they face Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on Sunday, May 10.

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Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton

New Delhi: Rohit Sharma Scored 84 runs on return from injury Ryan Rickelton made as 83 Mumbai Indians Defeated Lucknow Super Giants by six wickets in Mumbai in the IPL 2026 match on Monday.The two openers added 143 runs for the first wicket, their third century partnership in the IPL, and started the chase. Chasing LSG’s target of 228 runs for five wickets, Mumbai Indians scored 229 runs for four wickets in 18.4 overs.First, nicholas puran Scored 63 runs in 21 balls to lift LSG after slow pace in the middle overs. He took advantage of MI’s loose bowling.Rohit missed five matches due to a hamstring injury against Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 12. He hit seven sixes and six fours in his 44-ball innings as Rickelton continued his form.Rickelton was out in the 11th over on the bowling of Mohsin Khan after hitting two sixes. Rohit looked headed for a century, but in the 14th over, he was caught at short fine leg by Manimaran Siddharth, who took 2 wickets for 47 runs.Tilak Verma scored 11 runs, while stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav scored 12 runs before being out near the boundary line again. Naman Dhir remained unbeaten on 23 and Will Jacques remained unbeaten on 10 as MI completed the chase.Mumbai Indians scored almost 50 runs in the first five overs, before Rohit attacked in the sixth over and hit 21 runs off Avesh Khan with the help of fours and sixes.Highest target chased in IPL

The previous highest target chased by MI was 221 against KKR at the same venue earlier this season.Rickelton also scored freely, starting with a six off Mohsin and playing shots against both pace and spin.For LSG, Pooran’s knock of 63 off 20 balls helped them reach 228 for five. He hit eight sixes and one four. Mitchell Marsh scored 44 runs in 25 balls.Jasprit Bumrah did not get any wicket, gave away 45 runs and overstepped three times. Corbin Bosch took 2 for 20 and slowed down LSG in the middle overs when they looked set for 240-plus.Bumrah gave 21 runs in the fourth over, where Marsh hit him for a four. Pooran attacked Will Jacques with three sixes in the powerplay and later hit two sixes and a four on AM Ghazanfar in the sixth over. LSG reached 90 for one in six overs, which is the joint second highest score in the powerplay by a visiting team against MI at this ground.Pooran, who had not scored a half-century in his previous 17 innings, completed his half-century in 16 balls by hitting a six off Deepak Chahar. He and Marsh added 94 runs in 35 balls for the second wicket. LSG were in control at 123 for one after eight overs.After this, Bosch dismissed both Pooran and Marsh in the same over. LSG dropped from 123 for one wicket to 160 for four in 12 overs. The score could have been 160 runs for five wickets, but Bumrah went ahead after Himmat Singh was caught behind the wicket. Himmat remained unbeaten on 40 and added 68 runs with Aiden Markram, who scored 31 not out.

Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians (229/4 in 18.4 overs) beat Lucknow Super Giants (228/5 in 20 overs) by 6 wickets at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

MI vs LSG: highlighted | Achievement:

Rohit Sharma on Monday showed how much Mumbai Indians missed him during his absence due to a hamstring injury. With MI looking likely to make an early exit, Rohit ensured that their playoff hopes remained alive, leading them to an impressive six-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium.

Rohit missed out on finishing third IPL century, but his 84 off 44 balls with seven sixes helped MI chase down the tough target of 229 runs with eight balls to spare.

In a significant blow for MI, Hardik Pandya missed the game due to back spasms, but Suryakumar Yadav found the right ally in Rohit, who showed no signs of rust despite being out for more than three weeks. The MI opener was so brutal that Mumbai Indians achieved their most successful run chase in IPL history.

For the Super Giants, the campaign continues to be a downward spiral as they remain at the bottom of the table. Having now lost six matches, Rishabh Pant’s team needs nothing less than a miraculous turnaround to stay in the playoff race.

Puran lights up Wankhede

After being asked to bat first, the Super Giants did not have a good start and Josh Inglis was out cheaply. But Nicholas Pooran performed brilliantly to ensure that LSG scored 90 runs in the powerplay and recorded their best powerplay in IPL history. Puran, who was looking for Roop, Saved himself by scoring a stormy half-century in 16 balls.

Pooran continued his six-hitting spree and showed why one should never ignore a batsman with his brute force. He joined hands with Mitchell Marsh and both added 94 runs for the second wicket in just 34 balls. Pooran eventually scored 63 runs in 21 balls with the help of eight sixes, before Corbyn Bosch took his wicket.

Bosch also dismissed Marsh in the same over, who scored 44 runs in 25 balls. However, Marsh and Pooran ensured that the Super Giants reached 143 for three at half-time. At that stage, it looked like LSG were destined to post a total around 250 runs, if not higher.

MI made a great comeback

From there, MI took things back beautifully as LSG could only muster 88 runs in their last 10 overs. Jasprit Bumrah struggled a bit, bowling three no-balls in the match, one of which took away the wicket of Himmat Singh from him. Once again, he went out without taking a wicket, which shows how tough it has been for MI’s premier pace bowler.

While Bumrah struggled, the rest of the MI bowlers managed to keep the LSG batsmen in check. Rishabh Pant (15) faced another failure before being dismissed by Will Jacques. Aiden Markram (31*) and Himmat Singh (40) put on a 68-run partnership, but they could hardly pick up the pace as the MI bowlers did not allow them to open their shoulders.

This match was special for Raghu Sharma He took his first IPL wicket as Akshat Raghuvanshi And then celebrated by taking out a special note from his pocket. The Super Giants scored 229, their highest score in this IPL, but it still felt almost par, especially at a venue where even 240 doesn’t always seem safe.

Many more to follow…

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