Mumbai Indians Captain News: The five-time champions have had yet another poor start to the season. After breaking their jinx of losing the opening game of the season after 14 years, the Mumbai Indians have not had the best of results. The Hardik Pandya-led side is at ninth place on the points table, separated by net run rate from the bottom of the IPL 2026 points table. Apart from the on-field performance or the lack of it, there have been reports of rifts emerging with the MI camp. Since awarding the captaincy to Hardik Pandya before IPL 2024, there have been reports that the mood among the players is not right. However, the rumours of captaincy change picked up heat in their defeat to Chennai Super Kings by 103 runs. During the second innings, the owner, Akash Ambani, was seen leaving the stadium while also gesturing to the fans to leave.
With Akash Ambani’s gesture coupled with reports of rifts in the team, the lack of success on the field has not helped Hardik Pandya. The Indian all-rounder who is captain of the team could very well lose his position if positive results do not come for the joint-most successful team in the Indian Premier League.
MI vs SRH: Will Hardik Pandya lose captaincy?
Hardik Pandya, despite boasting a successful captaincy career before rejoining the Mumbai Indians, was not welcomed with open arms. The Indian all-rounder was booed and jeered at different stadiums during IPL 2024, apparently for being chosen as the captain of the team ahead of Rohit Sharma. These boos all turned to cheers just months later as he played a crucial part in the Indian team lifting the T20 World Cup trophy. However, MI fans and the ownership are used to winning titles. With somewhat poor returns in the IPL in recent years, Pandya has been on the receiving end of criticism. There have been reports of rifts within the MI camp that have emerged during IPL 2026. Thanks to the poor performance on the field, Pandya’s captaincy hangs on by a thread.
MI vs SRH: Will Rohit Sharma replace Hardik Pandya as MI captain?
Rohit Sharma, along with MS Dhoni, has been unarguably the greatest IPL captain. In T20s, there have been only a few captains around the world and leagues who have had more success than the right-handed batter. With Rohit expected to make a comeback in the team, there are reports emerging that he could take up the captaincy spot as a stopgap solution. Under Pandya, MI has not had the best of success, and a change in leadership could follow.
MI vs SRH: Will Suryakumar Yadav replace Hardik Pandya as MI captain?
Suryakumar Yadav has had an unprecedented season with the bat in hand this season. The right-handed batter has been the most consistent batter for the five-time champions in recent years. However, in IPL 2026, SKY has managed to score only 157 runs from seven innings while averaging 22.42 and striking at 142. As the captain of the Indian team, Suryakumar led the ‘Men in Blue’ to World Cup glory in the shortest format only a few months ago. Thanks to his impressive resume in a short time with the Indian team, he is being looked at as a possible option to replace Hardik Pandya as the MI captain.
