Delhi are currently seventh in the table.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThe report in question highlights Axar Patel, Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant as the names most likely to be reconsidered. The common thread is that each has led for two consecutive seasons without delivering a playoff spot, and that sustained inability has left little goodwill behind. Even if personal performances have not been entirely disastrous, the tactical choices made during matches have reportedly been the more damaging factor for their respective managements.<\/p>\n
Among the three, Rishabh Pant\u2019s Lucknow Super Giants have already fallen out of contention. Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders, by contrast, are still mathematically alive, though the situation for both teams has appeared bleak for some time. For franchises still hunting calculations, the \u201cwindow\u201d can close quickly\u2014especially when results don\u2019t match the belief in the leadership.<\/p>\n
There is, however, one notable exception within the broader captaincy narrative: Mumbai Indians. Despite another season of underperformance, Hardik Pandya is not included in the same list of captains under threat. The contrast becomes clearer when the table is viewed closely\u2014MI sit ninth, having managed just three wins, positioned above Lucknow Super Giants and just below Kolkata Knight Riders. Delhi are placed seventh, and their proximity to the playoff line makes their captaincy scrutiny feel more immediate.<\/p>\n
Why Hardik looks different<\/h3>\n
Hardik\u2019s apparent immunity from the same level of scrutiny is tied to context, investment, and prior history rather than this season alone. Mumbai\u2019s captain is not simply another hire for the role\u2014he is a homegrown product. He spent seven seasons with the franchise from 2015 to 2021 before being released, and Gujarat Titans then snapped him up, with Ashish Nehra playing a key role in his transformation into one of the league\u2019s standout young leaders.<\/p>\n
In Gujarat\u2019s debut season, Hardik guided the team to the IPL title. The very next year, they returned to a final once again, reinforcing that his leadership trajectory was not a one-off. When Mumbai brought him back ahead of IPL 2024, the move was reportedly made with the expectation that he would captain the side, and it came with a bold reshaping of the leadership group.<\/p>\n
Rohit Sharma was removed\u2014despite his status as Mumbai\u2019s five-time title-winning skipper\u2014in one of the franchise\u2019s most high-profile captaincy changes in IPL history. The reaction was immediate and severe: Hardik was booed at venues, trolled heavily online, and became the centre of constant speculation about the dressing-room atmosphere. That season ended with Mumbai finishing bottom of the table, a collapse that made the decision look risky.<\/p>\n
Yet the next chapter matters for how franchises judge leadership. A year later, Hardik delivered a recovery by taking Mumbai into the playoffs, winning the Eliminator before losing in Qualifier 2. That rebound, coming after the humiliation of IPL 2024, was seen as a sign of resilience and the ability to lead under intense pressure\u2014qualities that are rarely discarded quickly when they show up at the crucial time of the season.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also an important difference in experience. Unlike Axar Patel, Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant\u2014who are being judged after struggles in their captaincy stints\u2014Hardik already has a proven captaincy record in the IPL. His overall numbers add weight to that argument as well: he owns a 57.7 win percentage across 45 matches as skipper.<\/p>\n
But Mumbai\u2019s struggles aren\u2019t only about tactics<\/h3>\n
Even with that history, Mumbai\u2019s problems this season cannot be pinned purely on captaincy. The side has lacked the sense that everything is clicking. Rohit Sharma has spent parts of the campaign battling injuries, while Jasprit Bumrah endured a tough first half, remaining wicketless and not receiving consistent support from the rest of the bowling group. On the batting front, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma have both endured lean spells.<\/p>\n
Hardik\u2019s own numbers have also been below par. He has scored 146 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 136.44, and with the ball he has taken only four wickets at close to 12 runs per over. Beyond performance, criticism has also been directed at certain in-game decisions\u2014such as holding back Bumrah during specific phases, and the puzzling use of Shardul Thakur as an Impact Player against SRH without giving him a single over.<\/p>\n
Still, the larger picture for Mumbai goes beyond one disappointing campaign. The franchise\u2019s decision to bring Hardik back from Gujarat was built around the idea of him serving as a long-term leadership successor. That kind of investment typically doesn\u2019t evaporate after a single failure, particularly for a captain who has already demonstrated he can produce results when pressure is at its highest.<\/p>\n
Before making any move that could shape the next three-year cycle, Mumbai will be reminded of what Hardik has already delivered: he led a new franchise to a title in its inaugural season, bounced back from a last-place finish to reach the playoffs the next year, and has proven he can handle pressure that many captains never survive.<\/p>\n
For a franchise that values stability and long-term planning, the message from this season\u2019s turbulence may be simple. Patience could still be the preferred response, even when panic looks tempting\u2014because the leadership question is rarely answered by one stretch of bad results alone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Three IPL captains are reportedly facing serious questions about their futures, with the growing sense that at least some could be relieved of leadership duties…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9758,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL Captain Rumours: Hardik Pandya Escape Axe as Teams Worry","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"IPL captain rumours heat up as franchises weigh leadership changes after poor results\u2014Hardik Pandya\u2019s escape sparks fresh doubts over other skippers.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n
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