Indian Premier League 2026 is scheduled to start from March 28. Ravichandran Ashwin A significant concern has been expressed around Mumbai Indians and their leadership structure. The veteran off-spinner believes. Surya Kumar Yadav He should have been handed the captaincy, especially after India won their third T20 World Cup earlier this year.The franchise had delegated leadership duties. Hardik Pandya Following his high-profile move to Gujarat Titans ahead of the 2024 season. However, Mumbai’s title drought has continued since 2020, and a change of leadership – which has seen Rohit Sharma was replaced – sparked extensive debate.
Hardik’s appointment sparked a backlash during IPL 2024, with fans voicing their displeasure at several venues. Nevertheless, he managed to turn the tide in his favor by playing a crucial role in India’s T20 World Cup success, ending a long wait for an ICC trophy. In IPL 2025, Mumbai Indians showed improvement by reaching the playoffs, but their journey ended with a defeat in Qualifier 2 against Punjab Kings.AshwinHowever, there seems to be a big problem in ignoring Surya Kumar’s recent achievements as a leader. Since taking charge of India’s T20I team in July 2024, the team has been unbeaten in bilateral series, culminating in a World Cup victory.“Suriya Kumar Yadav not being the captain of Mumbai Indians is a no-brainer. He should be given the captaincy (he should definitely be the captain). And the fact that it is not happening, I believe, is a bit of a concern,” Ashwin said on his YouTube show Ash.At the same time, Ashwin acknowledged Hardik’s track record as captain. Under his leadership, Gujarat Titans won the IPL title in their first season and finished as runners-up the following year.“We should also look at Hardik’s captaincy credentials. Hardik Pandya won the title in his first season as Gujarat Titans captain, and the team was runner-up in the second. When he came to Mumbai, it was expected that he would remain the captain and continue this trend. However, his first year was spent only dealing with the Rohit Sharma story,” he added.Ashwin pointed out that Hardik now faces a tough scenario going into IPL 2026, with growing voices backing Surya Kumar as the more suitable captain.“Now he has to contend with a lot of people saying that Surya Kumar Yadav is the captain of the current Indian team, yet Hardik is the captain of Mumbai. This is a very difficult situation; Many things can go through his mind. But I don’t think captain Hardik Pandya lacks credentials — he has them. He did a great job with the captaincy for Gujarat Titans,” said Ashwin.“External issues aside, without any pressure and with the support of the players and management, I still think Hardik can do well. He needs to make the right use of the squad he has,” he added.Similar sentiments were earlier echoed by former India captain and selector Chris Srikanth, who suggested that Surya Kumar should take over the leadership role, with Hardik sidelined for the national T20I captaincy.Mumbai Indians will begin their IPL 2026 campaign on March 29 against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium.
