Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant in frame. Image Credit: ANI
IPL 2026: The Indian Premier League is not even close to being over, and speculations over captains being sacked before the next season have already started to do the rounds. It all started when Harsh Goenka, chairperson of the RPG group, made a tweet where he said that he could predict at least four captains would be sacked before the next season and a couple before IPL 2026 ends. Fans quickly began their speculations, with Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant appearing to be the most common names. The tweet from Harsh blew up further when Lalit Modi, the first Chairman of the IPL, shared his two cents.
Lalit said that he is sure that the Mumbai Indians will sack Pandya. He also took a moment to remind the world that Harsh’s brother, Sanjiv Goenka, had said that he would keep Pant for 10-15 years.
It has not been a great ride for Hardik Pandya upon his return to the Mumbai Indians. Coming from the Gujarat Titans, Pandya was booed in 2024; there was some resurgence shown in 2025. However, it is 2026, and it looks like that Pandya will again find a new team before the next season. Former IPL chairman, Lalit Modi, predicted how MI would change their captain for sure. In the ongoing season, the five-time champions have managed to win only three games from 11 matches. They have been eliminated from the race to the playoffs, and Pandya, too, has been sidelined in the last two games with supposedly ‘back spasms’. However, off the field, to add more tension to the issue, Pandya reportedly unfollowed and followed the Mumbai Indians on Instagram.
In spite of eight teams being in contention to make it to the playoffs, there are a few captains of IPL 2026 teams who have come in the firing line. Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, and Ajinkya Rahane are being predicted as the possible captains to be sacked. The position of their respective teams on the IPL 2026 points table backs these speculations.
While MI is placed ninth, Pant’s Lucknow Super Giants are at the bottom of the table. Meanwhile, Rahane’s Kolkata Knight Riders started their season with six games without a win, but since then have had an inspired comeback with four wins on the trot.
For the Delhi Capitals, it is not as much the performance of the team but the attitude of Axar Patel that could lead to him being removed from the captaincy duties. There have been multiple occasions since last year, when he was appointed the captain, where his dialogues after games have been portrayed in poor taste. After their loss against KKR, DC still remained in contention to make it to the playoffs, but Axar, in his post-match comments, said that the team will now look at players for next season.
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
India Has 60-Day Crude, LNG Reserves And 45 Days Of LPG; No Supply Concerns: Hardeep Singh Puri
Hardeep Singh Puri said the government managed the energy supply problems caused by the West…
Lawrence Bishnoi gang has claimed responsibility for the firing outside the house of singer-actor Diljit…
Can Cristiano Ronaldo finally lift the Saudi Pro League trophy? Explore the title race scenarios…
