IPL 2026: Hardik Pandya wins toss, opts to bat against Sunrisers Hyderabad

Hardik Pandya (File Pic)

Hardik Pandya won the toss and elected to bat first as the Mumbai Indians take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium.

Mumbai Indians are currently placed ninth on the points table with just four points, while Sunrisers Hyderabad sit fourth with 10 points.

After winning the toss, Pandya confirmed that Rohit Sharma remains unavailable due to a hamstring injury.

"We will bat first. It looks like a good pitch - breezy and a bit cold. I don't think dew will be a factor. It was important for us to reset and not overcomplicate things. We had a couple of good team evenings and some productive net sessions, and now we are ready for the game.

Mitchell was unfortunate, and Quinny also misses out today due to a wrist injury. There are a couple of changes: Rickelton comes in, and Minz is included. Rohit will need a couple more games - he is trying, but he is not fully match-fit yet. I just want to play the best cricket I know," Pandya said.

Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins said he would have opted to bowl first as well. He also confirmed one change to the playing XI, with Harsh Dubey replacing Shivang Kumar.

"It looks like there might be a bit of tackiness in the wicket, so we are happy to bowl first. You have to reset expectations every game. It is usually a high-scoring ground, so the focus is on executing skills and not overthinking. This pitch might demand something different, so it is important to stay clear-minded. Harsh Dubey comes in for Shivang Kumar. I hope the players trust my inputs since I am out there bowling as well and picking up information from the surface. I have also had games where I have gone for big overs, so I understand those situations. If that happens, I make sure to support the bowlers and keep them confident," Cummins said.

Confirmed Playing XI for both teams:

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Ryan Rickelton(w), Will Jacks, Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya(c), Robin Minz, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar

Sunrisers Hyderabad (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora(w), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins(c), Harsh Dubey, Sakib Hussain, Praful Hinge, Eshan Malinga