Why did Suryakumar Yadav replace Hardik Pandya as Mumbai Indians captain vs Delhi Capitals?
Suryakumar Yadav led Mumbai Indians against Delhi Capitals. Hardik Pandya was unwell and missed the match. Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel won the toss and chose to bowl.
Mumbai Indians made several changes to their playing eleven. The match took place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Both teams announced their playing XIs and impact substitutes.
NEW DELHI: Just moments before the toss, broadcasters announced that Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya would not play in the match against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Seconds after the announcement, Suryakumar Yadav - smiling, chewing gum, and dressed in the blue and gold jersey - walked out with the team sheet, shook hands with Ravi Shastri, and then greeted Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel. What followed was a loud cheer from the Delhi crowd as they saw their T20 World Cup-winning captain Surya.
The big question was: why was Surya leading the team, and why was Hardik missing such an important clash? The moment Axar won the toss and opted to field against Mumbai Indians, and spoke about his team combination, the focus quickly shifted to Surya. "(Hardik Pandya) He's not well, doesn't look good, so he was not fit for today's game.
So just getting into his shoes today," Surya, who was the stand-in captain for the Delhi Capitals clash, said. Mumbai Indians began their IPL 2026 campaign with a six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders. Mumbai Indians brought in Deepak Chahar in place of Pandya.