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Hardik Pandya is most likely to be sacked from captaincy, and he might have to part ways with the franchise as well. However, Mumbai Indians have now revealed the other side of the story built around the MI skipper and the other players in the team.
The Mumbai Indians are one of the most successful teams in the history of the competition; however, they have not had any luck winning the titles since their last win in 2020. A team like Mumbai Indians who have such a strong core not winning matches has casted clouds of uncertainity over their leadership.
The MI management made a massive switch as they appointed Hardik Pandya as the skipper of the team after a promising season in 2023 under Rohit Sharma, when the Mumbai Indians lost to the Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 2.
Reports adds new dimensions to Hardik Pandya's possible snub from MI captaincy
Hardik Pandya is most likely to step down from captaincy after a disastrous season in 2026. Even during their successful season in 2025, the Indian all-rounder did not have much of a role to play. However, on the other hand, his batting and bowling form has also dipped massively in recent times.
One of the major reasons for Hardik's snub from captaincy is not only his lack of form or leadership struggles but also his disagreement with the team management. Reports have claimed that things have not been going well between Hardik and the MI management.
Now recent claims from Sports Tak have revealed that several senior players in the MI team approached Hardik Pandya with suggestions; however, he did not want to have conversations with them. He has been blamed for being unapproachable and disrespectful to several senior cricketers.
Tilak Varma or Suryakumar Yadav: Who will be MI's next captain in 2027?
The Mumbai Indians are most likely to switch over captaincy from the upcoming season of the competition. They are likely to take some massive calls before the start of the next season.
Suryakumar Yadav, the stand-in skipper this season, has been backed by many as the next captain of the Mumbai Indians. However, even Surya's form saw a major dip this season, and his age would also be a massive concern for the captaincy role.
Tilak Varma is the other captaincy option who is most likely to be appointed as the skipper of the Mumbai Indians team. Tilak is the youngest and the most promising star in the MI squad, who is also the best futuristic option.
Three Likely changes MI will make to their squad ahead of IPL 2027
Mumbai Indians are likely to undergo some changes before the start of the next season of the IPL. Mumbai finished second-to-last on the points table mostly due to their bowling failures; however, their batters didn't fail on many occasions.
Mumbai will have to revamp their bowling side, as the bowlers have been thrashed in a very poor fashion. On the other hand, their middle-order batting would also need a reform, as on most occasions the top three, including Naman Dhir, have contributed with the bat.
Sherfane Rutherford, Trent Boult, and Mitchell Santner are the overseas players who might be dropped ahead of their next season, and Boult's drop would fetch MI some money to operate in the next mini-auction. Their purses are also likely to benefit if Hardik Pandya is released for his first-ever auction.
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