The IPL 2026 has proved to be an extremely testing period for the Mumbai Indians, with Hardik Pandya in the spotlight yet again. Following another poor season from his side, there is now speculation that Hardik Pandya might be stripped of the captaincy role as he led his side to a lowly ninth position. MI recorded four victories out of 14 games played, failing to compete throughout the entire tournament. Poor showings by MI, along with disciplinary issues within the dressing room and tactical mistakes, as well as weak performances by Hardik himself, may force the franchise to make significant changes next season.
According to some of the sources from Mumbai Indians management, reports said, “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.”
Sources close to the franchise have indicated that the management was unhappy with the direction of the team during IPL 2026. Reports claimed there were “enough signs” that the leadership group was not keen to continue with Hardik as captain. Another concern reportedly came from the coaching staff, which felt several senior players ignored data-backed tactical suggestions during matches. MI’s struggles in the Powerplay also became a major talking point, with the team failing to keep pace with stronger sides in the competition.
Questions rise over Hardik’s future in the playing XI
Apart from the captaincy, it could be said that this is not the only problem for Hardik. According to reports, Mumbai Indians might also consider the possibility of retaining him in their team. Sources close to the franchise claim that everything will be discussed in the review following the end of the IPL. Among other options, the idea of playing solely as a batsman will be considered. The performance of Hardik in IPL 2026 contributed to these discussions considerably. Hardik scored only 206 runs at a 138.26 run rate. At the same time, his average was low as well considering he is a mature all-round performer. As a bowler, his statistics were even worse – he grabbed only four wickets with an economy of 11.43.
The performance of the entire team followed similar trends. Mumbai Indians lost 27 wickets in the Powerplay section. This figure was one of the worst in the whole league. As for the scoring, this season their pace in the first six overs was rather low. Another report stated that the coaches had sent a clear message to the senior members after losing to Rajasthan Royals. They urged them to be coachable and follow tactics.
Mumbai Indians’ difficult run under Hardik Pandya
The most significant signing of IPL 2024 was Hardik’s return to Mumbai Indians. He took charge of MI after successfully leading Gujarat Titans to an IPL victory in 2022 and reaching the finals of the tournament in 2023. Despite his experience and success as the captain of Gujarat Titans, his return to MI failed to achieve the desired results. While he had a disappointing 2024 season when MI was placed last in IPL 2024, 2025 was a slightly better year with the team qualifying for the playoffs before losing in Qualifier 2 to Punjab Kings. The trend continued in 2026 when MI was placed ninth in IPL despite being five-time winners of the tournament.
This season also highlighted the absence of any great performance by individual players. Ryan Rickelton topped the scoring list with 448 runs, while Allah Ghazanfar was the best bowler for MI with 15 wickets in his name. Both of them failed to make an impact on the Orange and Purple cap races.
