All-rounder Hardik Pandya‘s future with former IPL winners Mumbai Indians has been speculated since the 19th season ended in May. Ambani-owned franchise put out a tweet with a few pictures of their skipper and wrote, “Memo: Make it HP Coded.” There were three pictures attached in the tweet with the cricketer batting in one and doing his running drills in the other.
MI and Hardik haven’t had a great time since their reunion in IPL 2024. The side has made it to the playoffs just once in 2025 and has finished at the bottom two of the table in 2024. The player’s own form since his return to the team hasn’t been great.
Memo: Make it 𝑯𝑷 𝒄𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒅 🥶💙 pic.twitter.com/eabVkzk6s1
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) August 19, 2026
Pandya is likely to leave MI, with Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders reportedly interested. It was also reported that the two-time T20 World Cup champion was keen on a return to the Gujarat Titans. He led the team to the title win in 2022 and also to the final a year later. Hardik wanted to become GT’s captain once more, but the team refused.
Can Mumbai afford to retain Hardik for IPL 2027?
Going six years without a title for a team like Mumbai is sure to cause a lot of panic amongst their fan base. The likes of Suryakumar Yadav, jasprit bumrahand Tilak Varma have been touted as potential captaincy candidates.
Surya could emerge as a likely choice considering his impeccable record as skipper with the national team. The 35-year-old has a win percentage of 82 and led the team to the Asia Cup title and the 2026 T20 World Cup trophy.
Bumrah’s injury issues and the need to preserve the pacer for the 2027 ODI World Cup could move him away from the picture. The 32-year-old led the side once last season against the Punjab Kings.
Tilak is being groomed for leadership roles both in the IPL and international cricket. The left-handed batter recently led the India A team to a Tri-Series title win in Sri Lanka.
Hardik Pandya may have to give up on the captaincy. Kolkata or Lucknow could be good choices, as both teams can offer him captaincy.
It will be interesting to see how the future pans out with the trade window still open. The latest tweet from Mumbai has caused speculation amongst the fans.