Hardik Pandya is planning to leave the Mumbai Indians franchise, according to PTI. He is said to be mentally stressed and completely exhausted after an unsatisfactory IPL 2026 season in which Mumbai Indians failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Earlier indications suggested that Mumbai Indians were considering another leadership change following the disappointing IPL 2026 campaign, with media reports stating that Hardik Pandya was likely to be removed as captain. Now, fresh inputs indicate that Hardik Pandya is himself planning to move out of the franchise.
The five-time champions finished ninth on the points table after managing only four wins in 14 matches, marking one of the franchise’s poorest performances in recent years despite having a squad featuring Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav and Trent Boult.
According to TOI, internal discussions regarding a captaincy change have already started after Mumbai failed to qualify for the playoffs once again. If implemented, the decision would bring an end to Hardik’s three-year stint as skipper, which began when he replaced Rohit Sharma ahead of IPL 2024.
Report points to growing dissatisfaction
The report stated that “at least three persons in the MI fold” indicated Hardik was “likely to lose the captaincy” following the team’s struggles this season.
It added that there were indications during the tournament that the management was uncertain about continuing with him as leader.
“There is a clear buzz in the camp,” the report said, while also noting that the coaching staff had repeatedly stressed the need for senior players to remain “coachable” regardless of their stature.
The report further claimed that there were multiple occasions when recommendations backed by data from the coaching staff were not followed by players.
Questions raised over Hardik’s future in squad
The IE reported that discussions are taking place regarding Hardik’s future in the playing squad.
“There will be serious introspection and discussion in the coming days. Every option would be weighed,” the report said.
It added that questions remain over whether Hardik should continue as captain or retain his place in the side solely as a player.
Fans back Bumrah as captaincy choice
Following Mumbai Indians’ disappointing campaign, TOI conducted a poll asking fans who should lead the franchise in IPL 2027.
Jasprit Bumrah emerged as the clear favourite, receiving more than 44 percent of the votes. Bumrah had captained Mumbai in one match this season against Punjab Kings when both Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav were unavailable, guiding the side to victory in his first outing as skipper.
Rohit Sharma finished second in the poll with more than 27 percent support from fans. Tilak Varma secured 17 percent of the votes, while Suryakumar Yadav received 10.6 percent backing.
The TOI Sports panel also discussed Mumbai Indians’ captaincy options for next season, with most members favouring Bumrah as the preferred choice rather than the franchise appointing another new leader.
For the immediate future, Bumrah is being viewed as a strong option to help revive Mumbai Indians before the team eventually moves toward a long-term leadership transition.
Mixed results during Hardik’s tenure
Hardik Pandya’s captaincy record with Mumbai Indians has faced scrutiny since he took over from Rohit Sharma before IPL 2024.
In his first season as skipper, Mumbai finished at the bottom of the table with four wins from 14 matches. The team showed improvement in IPL 2025 by reaching Qualifier 2 before losing to Punjab Kings.
However, the progress was short-lived as Mumbai once again won only four matches in IPL 2026 and ended the season in ninth place.
Across three seasons under Hardik’s leadership, Mumbai Indians failed to secure a title despite retaining an experienced core and investing heavily in senior players.
