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The Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 has already ended for Mumbai Indians as they finished 9th on the points table and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. The five-time champions won only four games and lost 10 this season. Hardik Pandya, who is the captain of the team, has been the opposite of the franchise.
According to an Indian Express report, Hardik Pandya is set to be removed from the leadership role after this season. This is shaping up to be huge news and is set to become true within a few months, as he and the management, along with some players, are unhappy with his captaincy on and off the field. Pandya has not been able to handle the Mumbai giants.
Team management not keen on retaining Hardik Pandya as MI captain
“There were enough indications during the season that the team management was not keen to keep him as captain. There is a clear discussion about this in the camp,” a source said.
A source said, “The coaching staff was very clear in their messaging to the senior players that wherever they play, they need to train. There were several instances where the coaching staff recommended something that was supported by the data but the players did not follow it.”
Hardik Pandya failed to perform well for MI as a captain
Since joining Gujarat Titans (GT) as a traded player in 2024, he has taken on a leadership role for the five-time champions, and in his first season as a captain, he faced some serious backlash after Rohit Sharma was removed from the captaincy despite winning five titles for the franchise. Pandya was abused and trolled by his fans on social media.
In the first year of his second stint with the franchise, he and his boys finished 10th in the league table, which was the first time that Mumbai finished bottom in the history of the tournament, losing 10 games in the very first season. After this, under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya, Mumbai qualified for the playoffs in 2025 but failed to reach the finals.
A year later, in 2026, with India having won the T20 World Cup 2026, everyone had picked MI as one of the title contenders based on the way the team looked on paper. But Hardik Pandya and the team disappointed with their performance. The MI captain scored 206 runs at an average below 23 and a strike rate below 140.
Will Pandya join CSK?
“There will be serious introspection and discussion in the coming days. Every option will be considered. Many questions need to be addressed. Going forward, can Hardik become the captain? Will he remain in the team just as a player?” According to an old MI expert.
Another source said, “We have not been able to use the powerplay like some of the successful teams this IPL. We have not moved with the times.”
He also failed to perform well with the ball and took just 4 wickets at an economy of 11.43. After this poor performance, the fans were unhappy and so was the management. Even Pandya hinted at a move out and possibly joining Chennai Super Kings (CSK) next season. However, nothing has been confirmed yet.
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