New Delhi: Talks about the captaincy of Mumbai Indians are heating up after the franchise endured a disastrous IPL 2026 season. One of the most successful teams IPL History, known for its dominance over the years, was a forgettable campaign for Mumbai Indians, who managed just four wins in 14 matches, while suffering 10 defeats and crashing out in the group stage.With another disappointing season behind them, questions surround Hardik PandyaThe captaincy has been elevated from all sides. After a disappointing season, TimesofIndia.com asked fans: Who should lead Mumbai Indians in IPL 2027?The overwhelming support from the fans made Jasprit Bumrah the top contender to captain the five-time champions next season. Bumrah captained MI in a match against Punjab Kings that season when both Pandya and Surya Kumar Yadav were unavailable, leading the team to victory in his first outing as captain.Over 44% of fans voted for Bumrah to captain Mumbai Indians for IPL 2027.Rohit Sharma, who led MI to five IPL titles, finished second in the poll with over 27 per cent votes.Tilak Verma got 17 percent votes, while Suryakumar Yadav got 10.6 percent support from fans.The TOI Sports panel also discussed who should lead Mumbai Indians next season. Most of them felt that Bumrah should be given the captaincy of the franchise instead of looking for another new face.For now, Bumrah could emerge as an ideal option to revive the Mumbai Indians before the franchise finally looks at a long-term leadership transition.Pandya, who started his IPL journey and shot to fame with Mumbai Indians, was released by the five-time champions ahead of the 2022 season. He then joined Gujarat Titans as captain and immediately created history by leading the franchise to the IPL title in their inaugural season in 2022. In 2023, he led the Titans to another final, where they lost to Chennai Super Kings.After two successful seasons with Gujarat Titans, Pandya returned to Mumbai Indians in 2024 and was replaced by Rohit Sharma as captain. However, things did not go according to plan for Pandya or anyone from the franchise.Mumbai Indians finished at the bottom of the table in IPL 2024, winning just four matches and losing 10.The 2025 season saw some improvement as Mumbai Indians made it to the playoffs. They defeated Gujarat Titans in the eliminator before losing to Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2. Still, MI’s wait for the IPL title – their last coming in 2020 – continued.The anticipated IPL 2026 season saw Mumbai Indians finally break their six-year title drought. There was a lot of pressure on Pandya and the franchise. But things only got worse.Nothing worked for Mumbai Indians during the season. The team looked out of rhythm in all areas and Pandya himself missed a few matches. In the end, MI were relegated after another poor campaign with just four wins from 14 matches.
