Former India Selector Urges Hardik Pandya to Relinquish Mumbai Indians Captaincy to Suryakumar Yadav
The Mumbai Indians approach the 2026 Indian Premier League season with a familiar dilemma: maximizing a star-studded roster that has not secured a championship since 2020. Former India chief selector Kris Srikkanth has publicly advised current skipper Hardik Pandya to step down and hand the leadership over to Suryakumar Yadav.
The Leadership Dynamic at Wankhede
Mumbai’s leadership transition began in 2024 when Pandya returned from the Gujarat Titans to replace five-time IPL-winning captain Rohit Sharma. The move generated significant fan backlash and coincided with a last-place finish. The team rebounded in 2025, reaching Qualifier 2 before losing to the Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings. Despite the improved performance, Srikkanth argues the internal hierarchy remains unbalanced.
Srikkanth noted the unorthodox structure of having the current Indian national T20I captain, Yadav, and the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning captain, Sharma, playing under Pandya.
“They have to come together again, the franchise owners and the team management with Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya, and set this right,” Srikkanth stated on his YouTube channel. “They should ask Surya to lead this year to see if there is a change of luck.”
Recent Mumbai Indians IPL Finishes
| IPL Season | Captain | Final Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Rohit Sharma | Qualifier 2 |
| 2024 | Hardik Pandya | 10th Place |
| 2025 | Hardik Pandya | Qualifier 2 |
A Proposed Solution for IPL 2026
Srikkanth identified the situation as highly unusual, given that Pandya played under both Sharma and Yadav in the national setup. Yadav took over the Indian T20I captaincy following Sharma’s retirement from the format after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in June 2024.
“Hardik Pandya is a good captain. But they have two highly successful national leaders playing under him now,” Srikkanth added. “From the outside, the obvious choice should be Suryakumar Yadav. If Hardik himself says this to the management, things will get resolved. He should say, ‘Let Surya lead and I’ll support’.”
Mumbai Indians’ Core Retentions
- Hardik Pandya: Current Captain, Pace All-rounder
- Rohit Sharma: Former Captain, Opening Batter
- Suryakumar Yadav: India T20I Captain, Middle-order Batter
- Jasprit Bumrah: Lead Fast Bowler
- Tilak Varma: Top-order Batter
The Mumbai Indians will begin their IPL 2026 campaign on March 29 against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.