The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season hasn’t been the best for the Mumbai Indians (MI). Hardik Pandya has been under the spotlight after leading his side to just two wins this season. The third win of the campaign came against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Monday under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav.
The Indian Express newspaper reported that the franchise has backed Hardik to stay on as the captain despite the team’s poor showing. TheAmbani-owned side isn’t blaming Pandya or his captaincy for the woeful season so far. The report also states that the decision-makers in the franchise believe the team has been slow to play as a unit, given the way the game has evolved.
Five-time IPL winners are currently ninth in the table after having played ten games this season. The 32-year-old wasn’t part of the game against LSG on Monday at the Wankhede Stadium. It later came to light that the player was down with back spasms, as mentioned by the franchise’s official statement.
Ex-Indian star non-committal on Hardik’s captaincy future
Wasim Jaffer made a huge statement on the future of the current MI skipper after the game against Lucknow. The 48-year-old talking on his YouTube channel said, “Such (captain change) decisions aren’t made in the middle of a season. MI are just alive mathematically, but their season is as good as over”.
Jaffer went on to add, “Mumbai has underperformed, but one cannot say it all because of their captain. Few players haven’t played well this season, and even injuries have hampered their chances. Rohit’s injury came at the wrong time, while names like Bumrah, Boult, and Surya have been struggling”
What next for the former IPL winners?
The Men in Blue and Gold will enjoy some time off before their next assignment in Raipur, where they take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). This will be followed by two more away games against the Punjab Kings and the Kolkata Knight Riders.
The final game of the season will be a home encounter against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). Fans will be hoping that the team builds on their massive win on Monday night and ends the season on a high in a much respectable spot in the points table.
