Sunil Gavaskar has asked Mumbai Indians to slow down and avoid any rushed calls after their disappointing IPL 2026 campaign, where the five-time champions ended up ninth in the standings. With the franchise effectively out of the playoff race for much of the season, talk has intensified around Hardik Pandya’s leadership future and whether he could be removed as captain.
Gavaskar urges a pause before any decision
Gavaskar said nothing should be treated as final right now, arguing that the team’s management needs time to reset after a “rock-hard” year. He pointed to the need for a short break, followed by conversations within the group before deciding on the next course of action.
He also suggested stepping back for a period that could stretch from a couple of weeks to even a month, so perspectives can be reassessed once tempers and pressure cool. Gavaskar’s message was clear: regroup first, then speak—especially with Hardik—to understand what comes next.
Quick facts
- Mumbai Indians finished ninth in the points table in IPL 2026.
- Gavaskar urged the franchise not to make immediate decisions and to regroup after a few weeks.
- Hardik Pandya has reportedly faced captaincy speculation following the season.
- In IPL 2026, Mumbai won 4 of their 14 matches.
- Hardik previously moved from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians but results have not matched expectations (bottom-half finishes in 2024 and 2026).
Gavaskar also referenced the wider context of Hardik’s stint, noting that the transition from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians has not gone to plan. Mumbai have finished in the bottom half of the table twice since the move, specifically in 2024 and again in 2026.
He contrasted that with the team’s earlier progress last year, when Mumbai reached Qualifier 2 but lost there to Punjab Kings. While that run showed capability, the follow-up season proved far tougher, and the captaincy question has naturally grown louder as a result.
Injuries and workload have hurt the captain’s impact
Beyond team outcomes, Gavaskar highlighted that Hardik’s own season contributions weren’t at the level expected for a leading all-rounder. His batting and bowling returns did not stand out, and he also missed a number of matches because of a back spasm.
During the stretches when Hardik was absent, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah took charge for Mumbai Indians, steering the side in his absence and keeping the team competitive in parts of the campaign.
Reports swirl around Hardik’s role
As criticism mounted after the playoff disappointment, multiple reports claimed different versions of what could happen next. One report stated that Hardik was set to be removed as captain, while another claimed he had told the franchise he wanted to part ways midway through IPL 2026.
That second report further suggested senior members of the setup were not aligned, and that the all-rounder was unhappy with what he saw as a lack of full commitment from some senior figures during his time with the franchise.
Despite the noise, Gavaskar argued that the right approach is to pause rather than act in the heat of a difficult season. He stressed that the team should take a step back, allow everything to settle, and then reassess with clearer information and calmer conversations.
How Mumbai’s IPL 2026 unfolded
In purely results terms, Mumbai Indians won only 4 matches out of 14 in IPL 2026. Their ninth-place finish in the points table underlined how difficult the season turned out to be for a franchise that has previously dominated the competition.
Hardik’s own tournament numbers add to the debate: in the 10 matches he played for Mumbai in the 19th edition of the T20 league, he returned with four wickets and 206 runs with the bat. The combination of injury absence and inconsistent output is part of why the captaincy conversation has gathered pace since the season ended.
