Rohit Sharma missed a crucial Mumbai Indians (MI) practice session on Tuesday (April 14), casting doubt on his availability for Thursday's (April 16) match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Wankhede Stadium.

The veteran opener is dealing with a hamstring injury sustained on April 12, forcing him to retire hurt against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

According to a Cricbuzz report, Rohit did not travel to the stadium for the evening practice session, leaving his availability for the next match uncertain.

Rohit had retired hurt in the sixth over of MI’s chase against RCB, after scoring 19 off 13 balls. The 38-year-old reportedly underwent scans after the game, and there is no conclusive evidence of a severe hamstring tear. It is highly unlikely that he would miss too many matches.

"As a matter of fact, any hamstring injury is serious, but Cricbuzz understands that there is no conclusive evidence of anything severe that could force Rohit's absence for too many IPL matches,” the report stated.

The MI management is likely to take a cautious approach, considering the risk of worsening the injury, and may left it to Rohit to make the final call regarding his participation.

"Whether MI will take a chance by playing Rohit on Thursday is debatable. It is likely that the management, given the value of Rohit's presence in the side, may opt to err on the side of caution to rule out the risk of aggravating the injury. However, it is also likely that the final call will be left to Rohit himself. Given his experience, he is best placed to take the important decision," the report added.

During his brief stay at the crease against RCB, Rohit Sharma became the first player to score 6,000 runs for the Mumbai Indians. He currently holds 6,013 runs for the franchise at an average of 29.76 and a strike rate of 132.82, including 40 half-centuries and two hundreds.