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After almost being out of the race for the playoffs in IPL 2026, five-time champions Mumbai Indians are stuck in a new problem. Who will be the captain during the game against Royal Challengers Bangalore on 10th May?
If recent reports are to be believed, both Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav will not be available for this particular encounter. Pandya is the full-time captain of MI this year, while Yadav took over the captaincy in the two matches that Pandya missed due to various reasons.
Pandya missed MI’s latest match (vs Lucknow Super Giants on May 4) due to back spasms, while Suryakumar recently became a father. Under these circumstances, there has been a wide debate on who should lead MI if both Hardik and ‘Sky’ do not play.
The first answer that comes to most people’s mind is Rohit Sharma. Sharma led MI to five IPL titles between 2013 and 2020 before being unceremoniously sacked ahead of the 2024 season. For that season, MI had traded Hardik Panyada from Gujarat Titans specifically to become the captain.
Now, former CSK star Subramaniam Badrinath has weighed in on this debate.
“I am not sure that Rohit will accept the captaincy of the team” – Badrinath
While talking on his YouTube channel, Badrinath said that making Rohit Sharma the captain again would not be the right decision for Mumbai Indians.
“When Rohit scores runs, MI sees a different side. When Rohit steps up, it feels like everyone in MI gets energetic. Also, if Hardik and Suryakumar Yadav Don’t play games, just because there is no one there, it is not right to have Rohit Sharma back as captain. I am not even sure whether he will accept captaining the team or not,” said Badrinath.
Rohit Sharma in IPL 2026
Due to persistent injuries, Rohit has been able to play only 5 of his team’s 10 matches in IPL 2026. During the reverse match against RCB on 12 April, Rohit suffered a toe injury. His return to action was further delayed due to a hamstring injury.
However, upon returning to the field, Rohit played a brilliant inning of 84 runs to help MI successfully chase the target of 229 runs against LSG. Overall, Rohit has scored 221 runs in five matches at an average of 55 and a strike rate of 174. He has also scored two half-centuries while successfully chasing the target of over 220.
Also Read: Rohit Sharma hints at post-retirement plans as TV debut teaser goes viral amid IPL 2026
Mumbai Indians form and next match in IPL 2026
As far as IPL 2026 is concerned, Mumbai Indians have done almost equally well, with just 3 wins in 10 matches. Their win against LSG had broken a three-match losing streak, but now their time is up.
MI can win all their remaining four matches, but they will still need help from other results and a huge jump in their net run rate. On average, MI will need to win every game by around 94 runs to bring their NRR into the qualification range.
In their next match, MI will face RCB at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. MI will be hoping that Rohit Sharma can lead them to another win, especially with both Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav unavailable.