Hardik Pandya’s tenure as the Mumbai Indians (MI) is set to end as the star all-rounder is set to be axed from the top job after another disastrous campaign for the five-time champions following a ninth-place finish in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL). The franchise won just four games this season and avoided a wooden spoon by a whisker due to having a slightly better Net Run Rate (NRR) than Lucknow Super Giants.
This marked the second time in three seasons that MI had failed to qualify for the playoffs in Hardik’s tenure. In the Indian cricket superstar’s first season in charge of the franchise in 2024, they had finished in last spot (10) in the table. There was a improvement in 2025 as they reached the second qualifier, but things went haywire again in 2026.
Hardik Pandya’s Controversial Tenure As MI Captain
The developments have come in a controversial three-year tenure for MI as captain after replacing five-time IPL-winning skipper Rohit Sharma. The latter had led the franchise for a decade and lifted the trophy in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
Hardik was booed across stadiums in the country after joining MI in a trade deal from Gujarat Titans (GT) and immediately being named captain. There was also indications of a dressing-room mutiny, with Rohit evidently not happy with the decision to axe while Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah were also viewed as potential captaincy options before Hardik rejoined the team. The star all-rounder led the Titans in 2022 and 2023 and played the final in both years including a title win in his debut season as captain.
More to follow…
