Hardik Pandya To Be Sacked As Captain? Mumbai Indians' Stance Revealed

Hardik Pandya [Source: AP]

Mumbai Indians have had a forgettable IPL 2026 campaign so far. The five-time champions have lost seven out of ten matches, staring at an inevitable group-stage exit from the tournament. 

MI's prolonged lean patch in the IPL has made critics question Hardik Pandya's leadership calibre. Besides leading the team to seven defeats, Pandya has been a pale shadow of himself with bat and ball, failing to make an impact for the franchise. 

As Mumbai Indians' torrid IPL 2026 run jeopardises Pandya's captaincy stint, a report has surfaced, claiming the experienced allrounder will continue to lead the franchise despite modest returns. 

Mumbai Indians to back Hardik Pandya as captain, report claims

Led by Hardik Pandya, MI had a winning start to the IPL 2026 season, comfortably defeating Kolkata Knight Riders in their tournament opener at the Wankhede Stadium. 

However, their form dipped as the tournament progressed, as they managed only two victories in their subsequent nine group-stage matches. 

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As a result, the five-time champions are currently placed ninth on the IPL points table, and their chances of qualifying for the playoffs are bleak. 

But despite the team's underwhelming performance, the MI management is going to persist with Hardik Pandya as captain, according to The Indian Express. 

The report states that the Mumbai Indians management doesn't hold Hardik Pandya's captaincy style responsible for the team's lacklustre performance. Instead, it believes the team as a whole has failed to keep pace with the rapid evolution of the IPL. 

"The Indian Express has learnt that the franchise management continues to back Pandya and does not see the team’s struggles as a reflection of his leadership. Instead, they believe MI have been slow to adapt to the evolving style of play in the tournament," the Indian Express report stated. 

MI have failed collectively as a unit, team management understands

The IPL 2026 has undoubtedly been a forgettable season for Hardik Pandya. However, the Mumbai Indians management can't put all the blame on him, given that none of their marquee Indian players has delivered this time. 

While Jasprit Bumrah has managed only three wickets in ten matches, Suryakumar Yadav has averaged less than 20 with the bat. 

Although Tilak Varma scored a century against Gujarat Titans, his overall performance has been shambolic, as the southpaw has struck 204 runs at an average of 22.67. 

The MI management understands that the ordinary results have stemmed from the inconsistency of their core group rather than Pandya's tactical shortcomings. Therefore, the experienced allrounder will likely get a long rope as the captain of the side.

Hardik Pandya's record as MI captain

Hardik Pandya has had a topsy-turvy run as the Mumbai Indians captain. The team failed to reach the playoffs under his leadership in the IPL 2024, while qualifying for the Qualifier 2 last year. 

Overall, he has led MI in 37 IPL matches, registering only 15 victories. In his tenure, the five-time champions have suffered 22 defeats, highlighting his rough patch as the Mumbai Indians skipper. 

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