Hardik Pandya-led Mumbai Indians (MI) had a forgettable IPL 2026 season and with only 4 wins in 14 matches, they finished in the ninth spot in the points table.
MI are set to axe Pandya as the captain following another below-par season under his captaincy. The franchise can also release or trade him to another team. A clear word on Pandya will only be out towards the end of 2026. Amid the uncertainty over Pandya’s future with MI, his former teammate Hanuma Vihari has opined that he will join Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Vihari said: “They can trade an all-rounder as well but the options are less. Hardik they won’t get. I think 99.9% he will go to CSK. They have to somehow find a foreign all-rounder be it an Australian, or England, or South African. I feel that is the only loophole as such, otherwise the team is still set.”
Pandya kicked off his IPL career with MI in 2015 and was a regular for them till 2021. He joined Gujarat Titans (GT) before the IPL 2022 mega-auction. GT bestowed him with captaincy.
Pandya-led GT did wonders in their debut season and won their maiden IPL title. They qualified for the final of IPL 2023, where they lost to Chennai Super Kings. It was Pandya’s last IPL game for GT
Hardik Pandya returned to MI before IPL 2024
made a shocking return to MI via trade before the IPL 2024 mini-auction. The star all-rounder returned to his former team as the captain.
MI sacked their five-time IPL-winning captain Rohit Sharma and handed over the charge to Pandya. Rohit was still India’s all-format captain when MI sacked him.
MI had their worst-ever IPL season in 2024 and finished in the last position. In 2025, they crashed out after losing to Punjab Kings in the second Qualifier. In 2026, they failed to qualify for the second round again and finished in the ninth position.