Hardik Pandya and the Risk to Mumbai Indians' Captaincy: Mumbai Indians are enduring a rather disappointing run in the 2026 IPL season. Many experts are attributing the team's poor performance to captain Hardik Pandya. Now, the question arises: Will Hardik be stripped of the Mumbai captaincy as a result of this lackluster performance? The team management has provided a very clear-cut answer to this query.
Will the captaincy be taken away from Hardik Pandya after IPL 2026?
It is worth noting that Hardik—who led the Gujarat Titans to a championship title in their very first season in 2022—returned to the Mumbai Indians in 2024. However, this time, Hardik took the helm of the team as Mumbai's captain. He replaced Rohit Sharma, who had previously guided the team to five trophy victories. Nevertheless, during his tenure with Mumbai, Hardik has yet to achieve any significant success as captain.
Poor Performance: Will Hardik Lose the Mumbai Captaincy?
Citing sources, a report stated: "The team management continues to back Pandya and does not view the team's struggles as a reflection of a lack of leadership qualities on his part. Instead, they believe that MI has been somewhat slow to adapt to the evolving dynamics of the game witnessed in the tournament."
This makes one thing abundantly clear: the blame for Mumbai's poor performance is not being laid at Hardik Pandya's doorstep. It is expected that Hardik will continue to captain the Mumbai Indians in the upcoming season—the 2027 IPL.
Hardik Pandya's IPL Career So Far:
Hardik has played a total of 160 matches in his IPL career to date. Batting in 148 innings across these matches, he has amassed a total of 2,895 runs at an average of 27.83 and a strike rate of 146.35. During this period, he has scored 10 half-centuries, with his highest individual score standing at 91 runs.
Speaking of bowling, Hardik has taken 82 wickets in 115 innings at an average of 33.39, with his best performance being 5/36. He has conceded runs at an economy rate of 9.37. It is worth noting that Hardik has been playing in the IPL since 2015. He made his IPL debut playing for the Mumbai Indians.
