Amid the rumours that five-time IPL Champions Mumbai Indians could turn back to Rohit Sharma for the captaincy ahead of the upcoming 2027 season, the franchise have dismissed all the reports and that no internal discussions on the captaincy have taken place yet, reported NDTV.
The report also confirmed that Mumbai Indians are exploring the possibility of trading Hardik Pandya and are open to proposals. However, no suitable deal has been found so far.
Even if Hardik leaves the franchise, MI have several captaincy options to consider, with Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma among the front-runners. New Zealand all-rounder and white-ball captain Mitchell Santner is also in contention.
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Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma Among Captaincy Contenders
Suryakumar Yadav could be a strong option to lead Mumbai Indians if the franchise parts ways with Hardik.
He recently led India to the 2026 T20 World Cup title. However, his leadership role and place in the Indian team came under scrutiny after the tournament, with his poor batting form contributing to his subsequent omission.
Surprisingly, Suryakumar Yadav's last match for India was the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand.
Tilak Varma is another candidate for the leadership role, as the young India batter has established himself as an important member of the Mumbai Indians squad and has also become the vice-captain of India's T20I team.
Santner, meanwhile, brings considerable leadership experience. The New Zealand all-rounder has captained his country's white-ball teams and could also be considered for the role.
Rohit Sharma's Mumbai Indians Captaincy Record
Rohit Sharma remains the most successful captain in Mumbai Indians' history, having guided the franchise to five IPL titles.
However, he stepped down from the role after Hardik Pandya returned to the franchise from Gujarat Titans ahead of IPL 2024. Hardik had captained Gujarat for two seasons and led the team to the IPL title in 2022 and another final in 2023.
Hardik Pandya's Captaincy Record At MI
Hardik's return to Mumbai Indians was among the biggest talking points ahead of IPL 2024. However, the franchise struggled during his first season as captain, finishing at the bottom of the points table.
Mumbai Indians showed improvement the following season, reaching Qualifier 2, but their campaign ended with a ninth-place finish in IPL 2026.
With the franchise yet to finalise its plans for the next season, Hardik's future and the captaincy question remain unresolved. For now, MI are keeping their options open as they assess the possibility of a trade and consider potential leadership alternatives.
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