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After another underwhelming IPL campaign for Mumbai Indians, the franchise appear to be undergoing one of the biggest transitions of its history. According to a report in The Times of India, the five-time IPL winners are gearing up for a wholesale change going into IPL 2027 after struggling in two consecutive seasons.

Mumbai Indians ended bottom of the league in IPL 2024 and continued that miserable form into the 2026 tournament, once again finishing at the bottom of the heap. Following these poor results, the management of the franchise are understood to be gearing up for a total reset of their squad which may even see a change in the captaincy.

Further casting doubts over the franchise's long-term plans are the never-ending transfer speculation concerning Hardik Pandya, although it is understood the franchise are planning much bigger changes beyond just finding a new leader.

According to the aforementioned report, India's young prospect Tilak Varma has been named as one of the frontrunners to lead Mumbai Indians into the future.

According to the TOI report, a source said:

"During a mid-season review, a senior player suggested that India's young batter Tilak Varma, who has been with MI for a few years now, is the ideal person to be appointed captain next year."

Tilak Varma has been a consistent performer for MI over the past few seasons and a key member of the franchise's future, his development as a batter and his understanding of the team ethic has reportedly caught the attention of key decision makers in the franchise.

However, he is not the only individual in the running for the captaincy, Indian T20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav and the experienced fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah are also reportedly being considered after both donned the captaincy during Pandya's absence in the previous season.

Also Read | 'Division and Bitterness' at Mumbai Indians Since Hardik Pandya's Comeback: Report

Furthermore, another senior batter in the franchise is also set to be presented with 'a different role' by the management as early as next season, although it is not stated who the individual is.

The source informed TOI:

"The management is also likely to phase out a senior batter and give him a 'different' role. Basically, MI need a reset, and that refresh button needs to be pressed as soon as possible."

These developments come on the backdrop of the Mumbai Indians struggling to cope and finding themselves in troubled waters. Since 2023 where Hardik Pandya came back to the team and was soon appointed captain ahead of Rohit Sharma, things haven't been in Mumbai's favor, and they continue to struggle in finding answers.

With the Indian Premier League 2027 months away from its inception, this juncture might just be crucial for the franchise which seeks a massive overhaul and to reassert themselves once again as championship contenders. With the plans in place, the Mumbai Indians may look completely new with a changed leadership paradigm in the coming season.