Former India captain and ex-chief selector Kris Srikkanth has stirred the captaincy debate at the Mumbai Indians by backing Suryakumar Yadav to take over from Hardik Pandya ahead of IPL 2026.
Pandya, who replaced Rohit Sharma after his high-profile move from the Gujarat Titans in 2024, has faced a turbulent run as a leader. Mumbai finished at the bottom of the table in its first season and, although it reached the playoffs in 2025, its campaign ended in the Eliminator. His appointment also drew backlash from sections of fans, with some still backing Rohit to continue.
Despite acknowledging Pandya’s credentials, Srikkanth made it clear that Suryakumar’s recent success gives him the edge. He said:
“It’s a funny situation. Two to three weeks ago, Suryakumar Yadav won the World Cup as a captain in India. Two years back, Rohit Sharma won it as captain. Personally, I like Hardik Pandya a lot. He is a fantastic cricketer, a fantastic person. He is a very good captain also. He won the title for the Gujarat Titans. But, this, I think, is an internal policy. They need to sort this out. From the outside, the obvious choice seems to be Suryakumar Yadav. He is on a winning run.”
Srikkanth also urged the franchise to resolve the matter internally through discussions involving key figures.
“They have to come together, meet again – the team owners, the upper-level management have to meet Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik, and say ‘Surya, you lead this year’. We will have to wait and see.”
“They can appoint Surya as captain any time, it’s not necessary they have to do it right now.”
He pointed out the unique dynamic within the group, where Pandya has played under multiple successful leaders.
“It’s funny because the same Hardik played under Rohit and won the T20 World Cup for India. He did the same under Suryakumar this year.”
Finally, Srikkanth emphasized that Pandya himself could be the key to resolving any leadership tension. “Hardik Pandya should go on to say, ‘I am stepping aside. Let Surya himself lead. He has been the T20 World Cup-winning captain. So, if Hardik himself says this, things will be resolved. I think it’s Hardik who has to go and say this.”
“If at all, there is an issue in the leadership group, the best solution to it would be Hardik putting his hand up and saying, ‘Let Surya lead’.”
With IPL 2026 set to begin on March 28, the Mumbai Indians will be eager to avoid their recent pattern of slow starts. Alongside the captaincy question, Rohit’s role as a batter will also be under the spotlight as he looks to maintain form and extend his international career toward the 2027 World Cup.
