Mumbai Indians’ early exit from IPL 2026 has reignited debate around Hardik Pandya’s suitability for the captaincy role, with a section of experts and fans arguing that the franchise should reconsider its leadership plan for the next season. Even beyond the results, the skipper’s personal returns were underwhelming: Hardik managed only 146 runs across 8 innings and picked up just 3 wickets, leaving plenty of questions about whether he was able to deliver both as a player and as a leader during a difficult campaign.
Former India batter Wasim Jaffer weighed in on the situation, saying he would not prefer Hardik to continue as MI captain in 2027. However, Jaffer also made it clear that he believes the all-rounder should still be kept within the squad so he can concentrate on his primary responsibilities with the bat and ball. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Jaffer said, “I won’t make him the captain, but he will surely be retained. I want him to open up and get the best out of him.” When asked who could replace Hardik as captain, Jaffer added that naming a successor at this stage would be difficult.
MI’s struggles were reflected in the league stage as well. The five-time champions ended up ninth in the 10-team points table, managing only eight points. Their final league match in the tournament ended with a 30-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals, a result that marked their 10th loss in 14 games at the venue where the match was played.
Despite the criticism surrounding Hardik’s captaincy, Kieron Pollard, Mumbai Indians’ batting coach, rejected the idea that the franchise would start pointing fingers at the skipper. Pollard acknowledged that things did not go as well as everyone in the setup would have liked, but he framed the season as a broader team shortcoming rather than a leadership-only issue. “From a leadership perspective on Hardik, yes, it has not gone as well as he would have wanted as an individual,” Pollard told reporters after the match.
Pollard went on to stress that the management had backed Hardik with opportunities to succeed and that the intention was to support him in the role. “It might not have gone how we would have wanted as a management staff. But one thing you (should) know that we have tried each and everything to give him the best opportunity to lead the franchise, to do well,” he said. He further insisted that the downturn was a collective failure across the Mumbai Indians group, rather than something that should be pinned on one person.
To underline his point, Pollard said the franchise would not single out Hardik or any other individual in isolation. “No one is going to sit here and put blame on point fingers. When you lose, especially, you have to look at it from a collective perspective. You win some, you lose some. But, at the end of the day, I wouldn’t question certain things,” he concluded.
