‘Mentally stressed’ Hardik Pandya is ‘done with Mumbai Indians’

“Mentally pressured and utterly exhausted” after what has been a disastrous IPL, Mumbai Indians’ under-fire captain Hardik Pandya is about to give up the franchise and had conveyed this to the staff administration mid-season, a high match supply informed PTI on Friday (Could 28, 2026).

The 32-year-old Pandya, who took over the management in 2024 changing Rohit Sharma, knowledgeable the Mumbai Indians administration about leaving the franchise weeks earlier than the staff’s disastrous IPL marketing campaign ended.

As soon as the play-off hopes had been dashed with fairly just a few video games nonetheless left, it’s learnt that each Pandya and MI reached an understanding on mutually parting methods.

“Hardik was mentally pressured and utterly exhausted. He had additionally sustained a again damage. In actual fact, as soon as the play-off hopes had been dashed, Hardik knowledgeable the decision-makers that he would not be staying again,” an IPL supply informed PTI on circumstances of anonymity.

“Please perceive that Hardik is just 32. He returned to MI in 2024 when he was 30. He was booed within the first yr and this season too issues did not go in response to plan,” the supply added referring to the change of guard wherein the vastly common Rohit was changed as captain.

MI Followers had repeatedly booed Pandya throughout the video games prior to now two seasons and the all-rounder, regardless of seeming visibly affected by the heckling, maintained that “it has been a tough however entertaining journey”.

The IPL supply mentioned, his persistence has lastly run out.

“There may be solely a lot {that a} younger man can take. The final three years have not been simple for him. The MI dressing room that he had left in 2021 wasn’t the identical when he returned in 2024. Not each senior participant was on the identical web page.

“If outcomes come regardless of divergent views, you continue to will not really feel pissed off. However when everybody pulls in numerous instructions, after a degree you do not have the psychological bandwidth to hold on. So, Hardik had determined mid-season that he would not be a part of MI subsequent season,” the supply additional mentioned.

In response to individuals aware of the developments, what damage Pandya immensely was the truth that senior gamers, who demanded 100 per cent dedication when he performed T20Is for India, weren’t precisely returning the favour when he was in-charge of the franchise.

It’s, nevertheless, not clear whether or not Pandya is a commerce cope with one other staff or would favor to enter the public sale pool.

“One factor is for certain. He’s executed with MI. Nearer to August, one would possibly get some indication about what his subsequent transfer will probably be.” For somebody who feels mentally drained, Chennai Tremendous Kings would not be a foul possibility in case of a commerce.

MI’s subsequent captain

Mumbai Indians might want to begin with a clear slate forward of the 2027 mega public sale, however earlier than that there’s nonetheless one other IPL version to navigate.

It is going to be attention-grabbing to see whether or not MI opts for a short-term answer or focuses on the larger image.

For the quick time period, there isn’t any higher skipper than Rohit Sharma, their five-time IPL-winning captain and nonetheless the most important title in that dressing room.

For transition, his protege Tilak Varma, who can be on the radar of the nationwide selectors, might be appointed his deputy.

It’s an open secret that the 2027 World Cup is Rohit’s ultimate frontier and, due to this fact, the IPL may be his ultimate season within the franchise ecosystem.

However whether or not MI can be prepared to take a step again stays the massive query.

In any other case, one of the best answer can be to make Tilak the brand new skipper and stick with him for at the very least three seasons whereas constructing a contemporary squad round him.