Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 opener on March 28, Ravichandran Ashwin flagged a major concern with the five-time champions Mumbai Indians. The former India spinner, who has represented the likes of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Punjab Kings (PBKS), Delhi Capitals and the Rajasthan Royals in the tournament, believes Suryakumar Yadav should have been given the reins of the Mumbai Indians, especially after he led India to the third T20 World Cup title earlier this year.
Hardik Pandya was named the Mumbai Indians after he was traded by the Gujarat Titans ahead of the IPL 2024 season. The franchise hasn’t won a single title since 2020, and the lack of silverware even saw the Mumbai Indians’ leadership look past Rohit Sharma and hand the reins to the all-rounder.
When Hardik replaced Rohit, the episode took an ugly turn as the fans turned on the premier all-rounder, and Hardik was booed at every venue during the IPL 2024 season. However, he won the people’s hearts by helping India win the T20 World Cup and end the ICC trophy jinx. The next season of the IPL saw the Mumbai Indians reach the playoffs, but they lost Qualifier 2 to the Punjab Kings.
However, Ashwin believes it is a bit of a concern that Suryakumar is being overlooked for the captaincy, especially given his recent credentials. It is worth noting that India has not lost a single T20I series since SKY took over as captain in July 2024, culminating in India winning the World Cup.
“Suryakumar Yadav not being the captain of the Mumbai Indians is a no-brainer. Usko captaincy dena hi chahiye (He should definitely be the captain). And the fact that it isn’t happening, I’m sure, is a bit of a concern,” Ashwin said on his YouTube show Ash Ki Baat.
“We should also look at Hardik’s captaincy credentials. Hardik Pandya, as the Gujarat Titans captain, won a title in his first season, and the team was the runner-up in the second. When he came to Mumbai, the expectation was that he would be the captain and continue that trend. However, his first year was spent just dealing with the Rohit Sharma saga,” he added.
‘Challenging situation’
Ashwin reckons the upcoming season will be challenging for Hardik, as several people believe Suryakumar should lead the franchise rather than the all-rounder.
“Now he has to contend with a lot of people telling him that Suryakumar Yadav is the incumbent Indian team captain, yet Hardik is the captain of Mumbai. It’s a very challenging situation; a lot of things could be going through his mind. But I don’t think Hardik Pandya, the captain, lacks credentials—he does have them. He did a great job with the captaincy for the Gujarat Titans,” said Ashwin.
“Leaving external issues aside, without any pressure and with the support of the players and management, I still think Hardik can do a fine job. He needs to use this squad that he has in the right way,” he added.
Earlier, former India captain and selector Kris Srikkanth had also said that Suryakumar should be the one leading Mumbai, saying Hardik should pass the baton to India’s T20I captain himself.
Mumbai Indians will begin their IPL 2026 campaign on March 29 against the three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium.
