IPL 2026 isn’t over yet, but heads are already turning on the franchises that have had a disastrous performance this year. on Friday, Rishabh Pant Resigned as captain of Lucknow Supergiants, who are bottom of the table. Meanwhile, Hardik PandyaAs tumultuous period Mumbai Indians The captaincy is to be eliminated after the five-time champions finished second last.In fact, the all-rounder wants to leave MI and could be traded to another franchise when the trading window opens, according to a reliable source. Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders are the likely destinations for him, though other franchises may also be interested.Pant was made captain by LSG after bidding Rs 27 crore, making him the most expensive player in IPL history. On the other hand, MI created a controversy when they brought Hardik back to their team from Gujarat Titans and named him as the captain in place of the then India captain Rohit Sharma in all three formats.Unfortunately for both Pant and Pandya, the teams’ poor results coincided with their own indifferent personal form. After two down seasons, Pant decided to call it a day. LSG director Tom Moody announced on social media that Pant had requested the franchise to relieve him of the captaincy duties.
“Rishabh approached the franchisee with this request and we have respectfully accepted it,” Modi said in a media release. “These decisions are never easy. We are grateful for all that Rishabh has brought to this dressing room as captain. Our focus is now on rebuilding and restructuring the collective to reach the best standards,” the statement added.TOI understands that Pant wants to focus on cricket with an important international season coming up. He was also recently dropped as Test vice-captain, besides being dropped from the ODI team after spending two years on the bench with Team India.“Pant wants to have a clear head going forward, he has made several strong comebacks in his career. Right now his focus is on being the best cricketer he can be and helping his team win. A good international season can help boost his confidence in the next IPL. He bounced back from a bad IPL last year and had a great Test series in England.” LSG management believes that if they can help move forward in the moment, they can help move forward. Pragya told TOI. “It is better for both the franchise and Pant to take some time and calm down before planning for the next season,” added the source.
The official announcement of Hardik’s exit as MI captain may not take long either. “Yes, Hardik has done with MI and is getting out of the franchise. He has had enough. He can either go to Delhi Capitals, who can buy their captain and India left-arm spinner Akshar Patel for him, or he can be bought to KKR against Cameron Green or Varun Chakraborty or Rinko Singh. However, don’t rule out another franchise’s interest in him,” a source told TOI on Friday.Another source revealed that “During the mid-season review, a senior player suggested that India’s young batsman Tilak Verma, who has been with MI for a couple of years now, is ideal to be made captain next year. Candidates The management is also likely to phase out a senior batsman and give him a ‘different’ role. Basically, MI needs a reset, and that refresh button needs to be pressed as soon as possible,” the source told TOI.While both Suriya and Bumrah could be strong candidates, Suriya’s long lean patches and Bumrah’s need to handle the workload have to be considered before making a final call.The buzz is that Pandya and Pant might not be the only two IPL captains who could lose their crowns. Some other captains may also face tough questions from a frustrated management.
