Hardik Pandya with teammate Suryakumar Yadav (PTI Photo) Mumbai Indians will once again head into the Indian Premier League 2026 season as one of the strongest contenders on paper, boasting a star-studded line-up featuring Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma. Despite their formidable line-up, the five-time champions have not lifted the trophy since their last triumph in 2020.The franchise underwent a major change in 2024 when Hardik Pandya returned from Gujarat Titans and took over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma. The transition was not smooth, with fan backlash and on-field struggles culminating in a last-place finish that season. The following year saw improvement as Mumbai reached the play-offs, but their campaign ended in Qualifier 2 defeat to Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings.
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CSK is organizing a fan engagement event in Chepauk ahead of IPL 2026 Ahead of the 2026 season, former India coach Kris Srikkanth weighed in on the leadership debate and hinted at a potential shift in captaincy. He believes Suryakumar Yadav, fresh off leading India to success in the T20 World Cup, could be given the reins to see if it changes the team’s fortunes.“They need to meet again, franchise owners and team management with Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya and get it right again. They should ask Surya to lead this year to see if there is a change of fortune. They can appoint Surya as captain anytime. They don’t have to announce it on their YouTube channel right away,” Srikkanth said.He further highlighted the unusual dynamism in the team and pointed out that several World Cup winning leaders are currently playing under Hardik.“It’s a funny situation. Hardik Pandya is a good captain. But yes, they have two T20 World Cup-winning captains playing under him now. It’s some internal politics in their line-up that they have to sort out. Suryakumar Yadav should be the obvious choice from the outside. But this could be franchise politics,” he added.Srikkanth described it as a “strange situation” and suggested that it could clear up if Hardik himself decided to step down.“It’s a strange situation because Hardik played under Rohit and Surya to help India win the World Cup. Otherwise, Hardik himself should say no to captaincy and let Surya lead. If Hardik himself tells the management, things will be resolved. He should say, ‘Let Surya lead and I’ll support’. That’s one way to solve it,” Srikkanth said.Mumbai Indians will begin their IPL 2026 campaign on March 29, facing Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
