Sipu Jha
With captaincy talk returning around Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2026, former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has backed Hardik Pandya to continue as leader, urging the franchise to avoid another change at the top.Mumbai Indians have several experienced players in the dressing room, including Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, both of whom have led India in T20 cricket. A couple of seasons ago, the franchise replaced Rohit with Hardik as captain, ending a tenure that brought five IPL titles. The decision drew reactions from sections of fans, especially with Hardik moving from Gujarat Titans and taking charge immediately. Despite that, the team reached the playoffs last season.With Suryakumar having recently led India to a T20 World Cup title, there has been discussion around his leadership role, with some suggesting a possible change in captaincy at Mumbai Indians.Kaif, however, said the team should continue with Hardik, pointing to the progress made under him last season.“I don’t think that Mumbai Indians should make the same mistake again. They had a poor season after removing Rohit Sharma and bringing Hardik Pandya in. Hardik Pandya is settling in his role now. They played Qualifier 2 last year. So, Hardik Pandya did a good job as captain,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.He also warned against frequent leadership changes based on trends, referring to the earlier shift from Rohit to Hardik and the current discussion around Suryakumar.“Suryakumar Yadav is an option, but it should not happen like how they treated Rohit Sharma, saying now we have Hardik Pandya, who made Gujarat champions, so he will captain now. Hardik was the hot topic then, and they pushed him. Now Suryakumar Yadav is the hot topic. Next year, there will be someone else, so will you remove Surya?” he added.Mumbai Indians will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders at home on March 29.
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