Hardik Pandya likely to be replaced next season [Source: AFP]On paper, the Mumbai Indians had a terrific squad, with quality players in all departments of the game. The former IPL winners had world-class match-winners in the batting arsenal, and they also possessed the best T20 bowler in Jasprit Bumrah as the team was touted the favourites to lift the trophy.However, disaster struck as the team crumbled under the “favourites” tag and were eliminated from the IPL 2026 playoffs race two weeks before the league stage ended. Things turned from bad to worse as several key players got injured midway through the tournament, and this affected the team rhythm.A large part of the blame also rests on the shoulders of the Mumbai Indians captain, Hardik Pandya. Coming into the IPL 2026 on the back of a stellar T20 World Cup win, Hardik’s Mumbai Indians squad was expected to do wonders. However, the skipper himself failed to deliver the goods, and was criticised heavily.Hardik Pandya's poor IPL 2026 season at a glanceA back injury affected his IPL performance, but that shouldn’t take away from the fact that the all-rounder crumbled under pressure, and several of his captaincy decisions also came under the hammer as the Mumbai Indians won just 4 games out of 14.Poor captaincy and MI’s results also affected his batting and bowling as Hardik only scored 206 runs in 10 matches, with a strike rate of 138, and managed to pick up just 4 wickets, with an economy of nearly 12.When the captain performs poorly, the team tends to fail, and this is exactly what happened with the Mumbai Indians.Also Read: CSK Captaincy Candidates If Ruturaj Gaikwad Is Removed After IPL 2026Kieron Pollard breaks silence on Hardik Pandya's IPL captaincy futureAfter Mumbai’s league stage defeat against the Rajasthan Royals, the team’s batting coach, Kieron Pollard, broke his silence on Hardik Pandya’s captaincy future in the press conference, and he hinted that the team management would sit with the captain before making a decision.“Yes it might not have gone as well as he would have wanted, what we would have wanted but i wouldn’t question anything at this time. Twelve months ago, we finished third. Now again, we finished ninth. Those are the inconsistencies we will have to address. We will sit and talk, lick our wounds and hopefully come back stronger in 10 months time.”Mumbai Indians lose 10 IPL games once againSince winning the IPL title in 2020, the Mumbai Indians have witnessed a slump, and this is the third time in five years that the side has lost 10 games in the IPL league stage.Interestingly, two of those occasions have come under Hardik Pandya (2024, 2026- partially, since he lost 7 of those). The side had all the tools to become the IPL champion, but under the guidance of Hardik, the side failed as they finished second last in the table.MI finished with 4 wins, 10 losses, and only bagged 8 points in the league stage as they acquired the ninth spot, just above LSG.Should Mumbai Indians sack Hardik Pandya as IPL captain?The franchise has given Hardik three seasons to weave his magic, but it seems the team, which once ruled the IPL, has gone downwards under his leadership. The same captain, who once helped the Gujarat Titans to clinch the IPL title in 2022, now looks confused and clueless.He makes baffling tactical decisions, which have come under scrutiny, and with Hardik himself underperforming, perhaps the time has come for the side to rethink and appoint a new captain, so that Hardik can concentrate on his batting and bowling.Also Read: Prashant Veer's Cost Per Run And Wicket For CSK In IPL 2026
