Hardik Pandya set to lose Mumbai Indians captaincy

3 min readUpdated: May 28, 2026 11:16 PM IST

Hardik Pandya‘s reign as Mumbai Indians captain is coming to an end. After a season in which they lost 10 of 14 games, finished ninth, and extended their title drought to six years, MI is set to overhaul its squad — starting with the captaincy.

The Indian Express, speaking to at least three persons in the MI fold, has learnt that Hardik is likely to lose the captaincy. A discussion on his place in the side is also on the cards.

“There were enough signs during the season that the team management wasn’t keen to retain him as captain. There is a clear buzz in the camp,” said a source.

The immediate backdrop is a team talk by the coaching staff following MI’s final game of the season against Rajasthan Royals.

“The coaching staff was very clear in their message to the senior players that wherever they play, they need to be coachable. There were many instances where the coaching staff recommended something which was backed by data but players didn’t follow it,” said a source.

So what is the path forward?

“There will be serious introspection and discussion in the coming days. Every option would be weighed. Many questions need to be addressed. Going ahead, can Hardik be the captain? Does he stay in the team just as a player?” according to a MI old-timer.

The problem runs deeper than captaincy.

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“We haven’t been able to use the Powerplay like some of the more successful teams this IPL. We haven’t moved with the times,” said another source.

The teams that made the playoffs this year — RR and Sunrisers Hyderabad — redefined T20 batting with top orders consistently going above 10 runs per over. Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans showed the value of experienced bowlers: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj. MI, with arguably the most recognisable names in the competition, looked out of sync with the modern T20 game.

None of their players featured in the race for Orange or Purple Caps. Their best batsman Ryan Rickelton is 17th among the top run-getters. Leg-spinner Allah Ghazanfar is 14th among wicket-takers. For a squad containing proven match-winners at every position, the numbers are difficult to explain.

Hardik’s relationship with the MI terraces has always been complicated. Originally an MI find, he was released by the franchise in 2022, went to Gujarat Titans, won the IPL as captain, and returned to MI in 2024 to replace Rohit Sharma. This happened days after Rohit had led India to the 50-over World Cup final.

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The fans never forgave the optics. They booed him through his first season back, when MI finished at the bottom of the table. A partial recovery in 2025 raised hopes. The 2026 season extinguished them.

The MI players and decision-makers are currently on a break. The hard conversations, sources say, will happen when they regroup in the coming weeks. Whether Hardik leads the side, plays in it, or neither – nothing is settled.

Sandeep Dwivedi is the Sports Editor at The Indian Express. He is one of India’s most prominent sports journalists, known for his deep analytical insights and storytelling that often goes beyond scores and statistics to explore the human and cultural side of sports.

Professional Profile

Role: As the Sports Editor, he leads the sports coverage for the newspaper and the website.

Weekly Column: He writes “The Sports Column,” a weekly feature where he provides sharp, narrative-driven perspectives on the biggest sporting news of the week.

Podcast: He is a frequent contributor to the “Express Sports” podcast (Game Time), where he discusses evolving trends in cricket and other international sports.

Areas of Expertise

While Dwivedi covers the entire sporting spectrum, his work is particularly noted in the following areas:

Cricket: He provides extensive coverage of the Indian National Team and the IPL. He frequently analyzes the leadership styles of figures like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gambhir. He is known for tracking the transition phases of Indian cricket and the evolution of specific players like Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant.

Athletics & Olympic Sports: He has written extensively on Neeraj Chopra’s rise in javelin, the nuances of Indian shooting, and tennis legends like Sania Mirza and Leander Paes.

Human Interest Stories: A hallmark of his writing is his focus on the struggles and backgrounds of athletes, such as the sacrifices made by Shafali Verma’s father or the “silent battles” of veteran players like Cheteshwar Pujara.

Notable Recent Work & Themes

Leadership and Dynamics: Recently, he has written about the dynamic between Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, arguing that personal friendship is not a prerequisite for team success.

Sports & Culture: His articles often intersect with global culture, such as his deep dive into the 100-year legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters and their role as American soft power during the Cold War.

The “Grey Areas” of Sport: He often addresses sensitive topics like the mental health of cricketers post-retirement, the “outrage industry” in sports broadcasting, and the impact of fan-wars on the game.

Tenure and Experience

Dwivedi has been with The Indian Express for over three decades. This experience allows him to provide historical context to modern sporting events, often comparing current crises or triumphs to those of previous generations.

You can follow his latest work and columns on his official Indian Express Author Profile. … Read More

Having spent years covering Mumbai’s local “maidan” cricket circuit, Devendra Pandey brings a unique ground-level perspective to his reporting. … Read More

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