"Hardik Pandya Hints at Prolonged Spell on Sidelines for Rohit Sharma as Former MI Captain Misses Fourth Consecutive Match"

Rohit Sharma Absent Once Again as Mumbai Indians Face Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026

Rohit Sharma, the star cricketer from Mumbai Indians (MI), will be missing in action once more as the team takes on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the iconic Wankhede Stadium.

The 38-year-old last graced the field on April 12 in a match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he had to retire hurt after facing just 13 deliveries due to a hamstring issue. Despite his efforts to recover, Rohit remains unavailable for the team's upcoming fixtures.

Addressing the media at the toss before the SRH match, Pandya confirmed, "Rohit's going to take a couple more games. He's been trying, but it's not up to where he would want, so he won't be available for the team."

During the fateful RCB encounter, Rohit was batting on 19 off 13 balls before his premature departure, leaving MI to chase a daunting target of 241 runs. The team eventually fell short, losing the game by 18 runs.

Initially appearing fit and active, Rohit fielded for the entirety of RCB's iings and ran normally for the first four overs of MI's chase. However, his fortunes changed as he began to limp while ruing a leg bye in the fifth over.

Despite receiving treatment, Rohit's struggles persisted as he gingerly took a single before eventually leaving the field. In his absence, South African veteran Quinton de Kock took charge at the top of the order for Mumbai Indians.

De Kock started strong, scoring a century in his first match back with the franchise against Punjab Kings. However, his subsequent performances were less impactful, leading to a mixed bag of results for MI in the absence of their regular skipper.

Rohit's absence in the recent encounter against Cheai Super Kings marked a significant moment, as it was the first match between the two sides since 2011 without both Rohit and MS Dhoni, who also missed the game for CSK.

Both Rohit and Dhoni have steered their respective teams to multiple IPL title victories, with MI securing their last triumph in 2020 and CSK claiming their most recent win in 2023.

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