MI Backs Hardik Pandya Amid IPL 2026 Sacking Rumors

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-05-06

The Mumbai Indians are having one of their worst IPL seasons in recent memory. With just three wins from ten games, the five-time champions are sitting ninth on the points table. Their playoff chances? Looking slim at best. Naturally, questions have started swirling around Hardik Pandya's future as captain. But according to reports, the franchise isn't looking to remove him from the role. Not yet, anyway. ### MI Management Stands Behind Pandya Despite Poor Results The Mumbai Indians management has made its position clear internally. They continue to back Pandya and don't believe the team's poor run is down to his leadership. Instead, the franchise sees the problem differently. They feel MI have simply been slow to adjust to how the game is being played in IPL 2026. This season, most competitive teams have leaned on aggressive openers who can score heavily in the power play. They're supported by bowlers who take wickets early and hold runs at the death. MI have struggled to match that pattern consistently in either innings, and it has cost them repeatedly. Pandya himself has had a quiet season with the bat and ball. He has scored 146 runs in eight appearances and taken four wickets. He also missed two matches (against Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants), which added to the instability within the squad. ### Star Players Failing to Fire Adds to MI's Problems The captaincy debate would look very different if the senior players around Pandya were performing. They are not. - Jasprit Bumrah, usually MI's most dangerous bowler, has picked up only three wickets across ten matches. - Suryakumar Yadav has managed 195 runs in ten games but hasn't been able to take matches away from opponents the way he normally does. - Rohit Sharma has played only a handful of games this season, which has hurt MI's top-order stability considerably. The result has been a team that regularly finds itself either chasing large totals without a solid platform at the top, or defending totals without the early wickets needed to keep opposition scoring in check. It's a twin problem, and it has shown up far too often this season. ### Simon Doull Raises Tough Questions About Pandya's Future While MI's management has closed ranks around Pandya for now, outside voices are asking harder questions. Former cricketer Simon Doull weighed in on the issue and offered a direct take. When asked which retained players MI should consider releasing ahead of the next IPL mega auction, Doull pointed the finger at the captain, conditionally. > "My point would be: who is your captain next year? If they are going to change something, who is going to be the captain next year? If it is not going to be Hardik Pandya, release him," Doull said. He went further, acknowledging Pandya's ability when fully fit, but questioning whether the mental weight of three underperforming seasons could hold him back. "It might free him up, it might not. It might make him feel, I have failed." Pandya came to MI ahead of IPL 2024 after leading the Gujarat Titans to the title in 2022 and a runners-up finish in 2023. His first season at MI ended in a last-place finish, accompanied by persistent booing from MI's own fans at Wankhede. The 2025 season brought improvement, with MI finishing fourth. But 2026 has slipped back sharply. ### What's Next for MI? MI next face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur on Sunday, May 10. The management believes a strong run of results from key players can still turn things around. Whether that belief is realistic with the playoffs window closing fast remains to be seen. For now, Pandya remains at the helm. But if the losses keep piling up, the pressure will only grow. The coming weeks will tell us whether MI's support for their captain is enough to spark a turnaround, or if bigger changes are on the horizon.