Former India cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth has backed Chandrakant Pandit to become the next head coach of Mumbai Indians ahead of the Indian Premier League 2027 season.
Srikkanth believes Pandit’s experience and understanding of Indian cricket could help the five-time champions improve their performances after a disappointing campaign earlier this year.
Mumbai Indians are in the hunt for a new head coach after long-time coach Mahela Jayawardene stepped down from the role earlier this month. The franchise finished ninth in the IPL 2026 standings after securing fourth place in the 2025 season. The management will now have to identify the right person to lead the team as they prepare for the next edition.
Srikkanth believes Pandit would be a good choice for the job, pointing to his connection with Mumbai and his record as a coach in domestic cricket and the IPL.
“If I were MI, I would bring in Chandrakant Pandit as the coach. He’s a local boy and has played a lot for Mumbai. So he’ll be a great value addition for MI, and such a team needs a coach like Chandrakant Pandit,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
He also praised Pandit’s approach to the game and said the former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coach could bring value to the Mumbai Indians setup.
“He’s a good thinker of the game, and he’ll not throw his weight around. He will do his job quietly and go,” Srikkanth added.
Pandit has a strong record in domestic cricket. He guided Madhya Pradesh to their maiden Ranji Trophy title in 2022 and had successful stints with Mumbai and Vidarbha. He joined KKR as head coach in 2022 and helped the franchise win the IPL title in 2024. He left the team in 2025 after three seasons.
His record makes him a possible candidate for Mumbai Indians as they look to make changes ahead of IPL 2027.
Hardik Pandya’s captaincy at Mumbai Indians has faced criticism due to the team’s inconsistent performances and his own form. After taking over the leadership from Rohit Sharma ahead of IPL 2024, Pandya struggled to win over fans as Mumbai finished at the bottom of the table.
The team showed improvement in 2025 by reaching the playoffs, but their ninth-place finish in 2026 raised fresh questions about his leadership. Pandya has experience of captaining the Gujarat Titans, whom he led to the IPL title in 2022.
However, it remains to be seen if he is still at the helm at the start of next season.