Hardik Pandya with teammate Suryakumar Yadav (PTI Photo)

Mumbai Indians will once again head into the Indian Premier League 2026 season as one of the strongest contenders on paper, boasting a star-studded lineup featuring Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma. Despite their formidable squad, the five-time champions have not lifted the trophy since their last triumph in 2020.The franchise underwent a major shift in 2024 when Hardik Pandya returned from Gujarat Titans and took over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma. The transition did not go smoothly, with fan backlash and on-field struggles culminating in a last-place finish that season. The following year saw improvement, as Mumbai reached the playoffs, but their campaign ended in Qualifier 2 with a defeat to Punjab Kings, led by Shreyas Iyer.Ahead of the 2026 season, former India selector Kris Srikkanth has weighed in on the leadership debate, suggesting a potential shift in captaincy. He believes that Suryakumar Yadav, fresh from leading India to T20 World Cup success, could be given the reins to see if it changes the team’s fortunes.“They have to come together again, the franchise owners and the team management with Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya, and set this right again. They should ask Surya to lead this year to see if there is a change of luck. They can always appoint Surya as the captain anytime. They don’t need to announce it right now,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.He further highlighted the unusual dynamic within the squad, pointing out that multiple World Cup-winning leaders are currently playing under Hardik.“It’s a funny situation. Hardik Pandya is a good captain. But, yes, they have two T20 World Cup-winning captains playing under him now. It’s some internal policy within their setup that they have to sort out. From the outside, the obvious choice should be Suryakumar Yadav. But this might be a franchise policy,” he added.Describing it as a “strange situation”, Srikkanth suggested that clarity could emerge if Hardik himself opts to step aside.“It’s a strange situation, as Hardik played under Rohit and Surya to help India win the World Cup. Otherwise, Hardik should himself say no to captaincy and allow Surya to lead. If Hardik himself says this to the management, things will get resolved. He should say, ‘Let Surya lead and I’ll support’. That’s one way of solving it,” said Srikkanth.Mumbai Indians will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign on March 29, facing Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.