IPL 2027: Rohit, Tilak in MI captaincy race as Hardik’s future remains uncertain
Having undergone a complete overhaul in terms of coaching staff, the bigger and trickier challenge for the Mumbai Indians decision-making body will be deciding on a possible captain, with the two likely options being the proven Rohit Sharma or the relatively inexperienced Tilak Varma.
There are two other super seniors: T20 World Cup captain Suryakumar Yadav, who is also at the end of his career, and the one-of-a-kind Jasprit Bumrah, who many feel should not be burdened with the captaincy.
While Mumbai Indians are yet to confirm any trade offers for Pandya, their captain for the last three seasons, it seems unlikely that the Baroda flamboyant will lead one of the IPL’s most popular franchises in the upcoming season even if he stays back.
After the IPL in 2027, there is a mega auction where most teams rebuild their squads from scratch with an eye on the next five to seven years.
But the next edition of the IPL is a tournament where MI owner Akash Ambani, supremo Rahul Sanghvi and head coach Kieron Pollard – the three decision-makers – will have to make this call: whether to go back to their five-time IPL-winning captain for the last time, or look straight for a fresh start with India’s T20 vice-captain Tilak.
ROHIT THE SAFEST CHOICE FOR ONE SEASON
Rohit will be 40 in the middle of next year’s IPL. Logically, the cash-rich 2027 event should be his last as a player in the MI jersey before he retires after the 2027 ODI World Cup, for which he is preparing with all his might.
There is still no substitute for Rohit when it comes to sharp thinking and on-field leadership, but there has been a tectonic shift in how franchise think-tanks go about their work, armed with analytics and an eye on the bigger picture.
However, for MI going through this transitional phase, there is probably no one to hold the team for a year before the mega auctions.
Rohit has mostly been used as an ‘impact player’ in the last few seasons. However, if Rohit becomes captainMI will have the flexibility to use someone else as a substitute depending on the match situation.
Tilak, who is seen as a future leader and is a MI home boy, could be a stand-in before he can take over as a long-term option for at least another five years.
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NEW COACH
Of the five titles Rohit has won as captain with Mumbai Indians, Pollard has been an integral part of all of them. He is perhaps one of the few cricketers who witnessed Rohit in all phases of his captaincy: the beginning, the peak years and the business end.
No one understands ‘Captain Sharma’ more than ‘Polly Kaka’ (as he is affectionately known in MI inner circles). The duo have put in amazing performances from the back in various IPL winning campaigns.
In IPL 2027, MI will also not change the team composition much; Rohit thus remains the best leader with any assortment of players available.
As for Tilak, he would like to start his tenure (if handed over) with a clean slate and have a say in the recruitment of players in the mega-auction.
WHERE DOES HARDIK LEAVE?
If people closely following Hardik Pandya’s movements are to be believed, there is more than a 90 percent chance that a trade will happen sooner or later.
“HardÃk is not a confrontational person. In case MI doesn’t get a suitable deal for him, he will definitely stay back for a year and give his 110-120 percent. It doesn’t matter if he is the captain or not, he will not lack commitment.”
“But the trade is not something that is in his hands. It is up to the MI ownership to see the merits and demerits of any trade offer that comes up,” an IPL source told PTI.
– The end