Hardik Pandya Rohit Sharma Sanjiv Goenka. Image Credits: AFP
Hardik Pandya’s stint as Mumbai Indians (MI) captain might be in danger, especially as the MI franchise failed to qualify for the playoffs of the ongoing IPL 2026 tournament. MI’s race for the playoffs ended after they were defeated by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Hardik has also not played the last two games for MI due to back spasms, and his performance with the bat and the ball has not been the best. He has made 146 runs with the bat and has taken 4 wickets with the ball for MI this IPL, and his performance has been far below his reputation.
His leadership has been questioned as well, with some dubious calls, and there have been murmurs of the Mumbai Indians parting ways with Hardik Pandya. Though MI management has stated that they will keep faith in Pandya and back him totally, things might go south if MI loses the remaining of their games.
If these rumors are true, let’s take a look at three teams who can rope in Hardik Pandya as captain for the IPL 2027 season.
Here are the teams that can rope Hardik Pandya as captain for IPL 2027:
3. Delhi Capitals
Delhi Capitals had made Axar Patel their new captain when Rishabh Pant was released and had huge hopes from the all-rounder. However, Axar has failed to lift the franchise to new heights. Along with his own performance being hampered, his captaincy is largely viewed as defensive and reactive.
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With Axar failing to take DC to the playoffs in two seasons, the franchise might look elsewhere. DC will want some dynamic captain like Hardik Pandya to lead them in the IPL 2027 tournament.
Pandya will be able to bring in fresh ideas in DC and will be free from the baggage of not having been accepted by MI fans as captain. He can mold the team in his own way and do something like he did with Gujarat Titans.
2. Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bought Ajinkya Rahane as an afterthought and named him captain for lack of any better option in IPL 2026. Rahane has led the team decently in two seasons; though KKR lost the first six games, they’ve made a good comeback. But Rahane is not a long-term option for KKR, and they’ll look for other options.
And who better than Hardik Pandya, who might be looking for a new franchise, as they will want someone in the vein of Shreyas Iyer, who leads from the front. Hardik might have more freedom with KKR owners being lenient and giving him more time to build his team as his own and take them to success.
1. Lucknow Super Giants
Lucknow Super Giants had splurged INR 27 crores on Rishabh Pant and had huge expectations from the keeper-batter. However, LSG has failed miserably in both seasons where Pant has captained them. He has also not performed with the bat in both seasons, and his captaincy has been questioned a lot for some decisions that begged clarity.
LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka is not known for mercy when the team is not performing, and this could be a good chance for him to rope in Hardik Pandya as captain for IPL 2027. Pandya is a proven leader with an IPL win as captain. He can bring changes that might be beneficial for LSG and also bring them IPL gold in their cabinet.
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