Mentally stressed Hardik Pandya quit Mumbai Indians

New Delhi, May 29 (PTI) “Mentally stressed and completely exhausted” after a disastrous IPL, under-fire Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya is ready to quit the franchise and has informed the team management mid-season, a top tournament source told PTI on Friday.

The 32-year-old Pandya, who took over in 2024 to replace Rohit Sharma, informed the Mumbai Indians management of his exit from the franchise weeks before the team’s disastrous IPL campaign ended.

Playoff hopes were dashed once with a few more games to go, it was learned that both Pandya and MI had reached an understanding in parting ways with each other.

“Hardik was mentally stressed and completely exhausted. He also suffered a back injury. In fact, once playoff hopes were dashed, Hardik informed the decision makers that he would not stay,” an IPL source told PTI on condition of anonymity.

“Please understand that Hardik is only 32. He came back to MI in 2024 when he was 30. He was booed in the first year and things have not gone according to plan this season,” the source added, referring to the changing of the guard that saw the much-loved Rohit replaced as captain.

MI fans have repeatedly booed Pandya during games in the last two seasons and the all-rounder, despite appearing visibly affected by the boos, maintained that “it’s been a tough but fun journey”.

An IPL source said his patience had finally run out.

“There is only so much a young man can take. The last three years have not been easy for him. The MI dressing room he left in 2021 was not the same when he came back in 2024. Not every senior player was on the same page.”

“If the results come despite differences of opinion, you still won’t feel frustrated. But when everyone is pulling in different directions, after a certain point you don’t have the mental bandwidth to continue. So, mid-season, Hardik decided not to be a part of MI next season,” the source further said.

According to people familiar with the development, Pandya was hurt immensely by the fact that the senior players who demanded 100% when he played T20Is for India did not exactly return the favor when he was in charge of the franchise.

However, it is not clear whether Pandya is considering a trade deal with another team or would prefer to join the auction pool.

“One thing’s for sure. He’s done with ME. Closer to August one might get some hints as to what his next move will be.” For someone who is feeling mentally exhausted, Chennai Super Kings would not be a bad option in case of a trade.

Mumbai Indians will have to start with a clean slate ahead of the 2027 mega-auction, but there is still another edition of the IPL before then.

It will be interesting to see if MI opts for a short-term solution or focuses on the bigger picture.

In the short term, there is no better captain than Rohit Sharma, their five-time IPL winning captain and still the biggest name in this dressing room.

His protégé Tilak Varma, who is also in the sights of national voters, could be appointed as his deputy for the transition.

It’s an open secret that the 2027 FIFA World Cup is Rohit’s final frontier and thus the IPL could also be his last season in the franchise ecosystem.

But whether MI would be willing to take a step back remains a big question.

Otherwise, the best solution would be to make Tilak the new captain and stick with him for at least three seasons while building a new team around him. PTI KHS PM MRM MRM

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Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

29 May 2026 15:04 IST