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Hardik Pandya Likely to Stay with Mumbai Indians Without Captaincy; Mahela Jayawardene to Continue as Head Coach

Written by space4knews on . Posted in Sports.

According to reports, Hardik Pandya is likely to remain with the Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2027, but without assuming the captaincy role, as stated by The Times of India. The Mumbai Indians are also preparing to extend the contract of head coach Mahela Jayawardene for another season, continuing from 2024. In the IPL 2026 season, Mumbai Indians finished ninth, winning only 4 out of 14 matches. So far, there has been no significant progress regarding Hardik’s trade. Kathmandu, 16 Bhadra.

Despite ongoing discussions about trading Hardik Pandya before IPL 2027, Indian media outlet The Times of India reports a strong possibility that he will remain with Mumbai Indians without taking on captaincy. The team is preparing to retain Mahela Jayawardene, who was appointed head coach in 2024, for another season. The formal announcement regarding the exercise of the final contract option is expected to be made next month.

The IPL 2026 season delivered mixed results and disappointment for the franchise. The team secured only 4 wins out of 14 matches, finishing in ninth place. Injuries, player availability, and dissatisfaction within the dressing room negatively impacted the squad’s performance. Despite much discussion about Hardik’s possible trade, no concrete progress has been made. Initial talks with Kolkata Knight Riders took place, but Mumbai Indians were unable to find an acceptable player exchange, stalling the process.

Cameron Green’s name has been proposed in discussions, but due to Australia’s busy Test schedule next year, Mumbai is cautious about committing to his participation. According to a source, Mumbai management favors retaining Hardik as a player in the team. The franchise plans to appoint a new captain and move forward in a new direction. Although there have been conversations with former captain Rohit Sharma about the leadership role, he reportedly is not interested in resuming captaincy duties. Tilak Varma and Jasprit Bumrah are the primary candidates for the new captaincy, with Tilak Varma considered the frontrunner. The report also confirms the continuation of Mahela Jayawardene as head coach.