Hardik Pandya’s second innings in Mumbai Indians is about to endImage Credit source: PTI
Mumbai Indians have been in turmoil for the last 3 years. Ever since Hardik Pandya suddenly returned to the five-time IPL champions and was made the captain in place of Rohit Sharma, there has been tension within the franchise. With the team’s crushing defeat in IPL 2026, this situation has now gone out of control and reports are coming that Hardik Pandya is not only going to step down from the captaincy, but is also going to leave the team. It is even being claimed that Hardik did not get full support from the four players of the team, but it is not clear at the moment who these four people are.
Mumbai Indians were eliminated in the league stage of IPL 2026 itself. This was Mumbai’s third season under Hardik’s captaincy, in which the team missed a place in the playoffs for the second time. This time the condition of the team was so bad that it stood at ninth position. Since this performance, Hardik Pandya’s captaincy and place in the team has been under question. There are constant rumors whether Hardik will be a part of Mumbai in the next season or not.
Now some reports have come out in which it is being claimed that Hardik will not be a part of this team in the next season. A PTI report quoted an IPL source as saying that Hardik was feeling mentally tired and troubled and when the team’s chances of reaching the playoffs were over, he had informed the Mumbai Indians management of his desire to leave the team. According to the report, the management also accepted Hardik’s demand with mutual consent.
But not only this, a journalist has claimed that ever since Hardik Pandya became the captain of Mumbai, he has not received full support from the four players of the team. Although, who these 4 players are, it has not been revealed but it has been claimed that due to this also the team failed to perform well under the captaincy of Hardik.
This has now raised the question that who will be the next captain of Mumbai Indians? Which contenders does the team have? If we look at the squad of the franchise, there are 3 most important contenders. The first name in this is that of Suryakumar Yadav, who has captained some matches in Hardik’s absence. However, looking at Surya’s own form and increasing age, his claim is looking a bit weak.
The next big contender is star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who has been asked to hand over the command of the team several times in the past. Bumrah captained the team for the first time in this season, in which Mumbai won. In such a situation, considering Bumrah’s stature and his understanding in the team, there is a strong possibility of him getting this responsibility.
The third option is Tilak Verma. This young batsman was launched by Mumbai in IPL and he has consistently performed well for the team. This is the reason why he was retained before the mega auction. Now he has made a strong place in Team India also, while he is a part of Mumbai’s core team. In such a situation, if keeping the future in mind, Mumbai management takes a decision like making Rohit the captain in 2013, then Tilak’s claim is the strongest. Even if this does not happen, he can be made vice-captain along with Bumrah, so that he is ready for the future.
