Hardik Pandya Arrives In Raipur With Girlfriend Mahieka Sharma After Skipping Travel With MI Ahead Of key IPL 2026 Clash Against RCB | VIDEO

Raipur, May 8: Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Panday reached Raipur on Thursday along with his girlfriend Mahieka Sharma ahead of the important Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The couple was seen arriving at the airport together after Hardik Pandya skipped travelling with the Mumbai Indians team two days earlier.

The viral video shows Hardik Pandya arriving with his girlfriend while holding her close with his hands around on her shoulder. They came out of the airport, sat in a car together and left amid tight security.

Hardik and his girlfriend Mahieka are often spotted showing affection publicly and their pictures and videos regularly go viral on social media. Fans once again spotted the couple together during their arrival in Raipur ahead of the big clash.

Earlier, reports surfaced that Hardik Pandya had not travelled with the Mumbai Indians team from Mumbai, raising doubts over his availability for the crucial game against RCB. The squad had gathered at the Mumbai Airport before leaving for Raipur, however, Hardik was not seen with the team.

However, Hardik Pandya later arrived separately in Raipur with his girlfriend and this has confirmed that he will be available for the upcoming game. Earlier, Hardik was not a part of the squad in the clash against Lucknow Super Giants which took place at the Wakhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 4.

Mumbai Indians won the game with 6 wickets while chasing a massive target of 229 runs against LSG. MI will now face RCB on May 10 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. The match is very important for MI as the team needs to push for a spot in the Playoff in IPL 2026.

Mumbai Indians still have a few crucial games left this season and their Playoff qualification hopes are still alive. After RCB game, MI will face Punjab Kings on May 14, Kolkata Knight Riders on May 20 and Rajasthan Royals on May 24 in Mumbai. They are currently placed on the ninth position in the IPL 2026 points table with 3 wins and 7 loses this season.