Hardik Pandya not travelling with team; Mumbai Indians to get new captain?

MUMBAI: Mumbai Indians, after giving up their playoff hopes this IPL season, are preparing for tough measures. Amidst rumours of being removed from the captaincy at the end of the season, Hardik Pandya has now cancelled his trip with the team. Mumbai Indians' next match is against RCB in Raipur. But Hardik is not with the team that left Mumbai for Raipur.

Hardik did not play in the match against Lucknow Super Giants due to back pain, and it was Suryakumar Yadav who captained the team. Hardik's absence attracted attention when the players arrived at Terminal 1 of the Mumbai airport. It was reported that Pandya will not be coming to Raipur, where the match is being held. However, management sources said it was unnecessary to weave new stories as the player is taking his time recovering from the back pain.

Pandya was underwhelming as captain in the last three seasons, save for the team reaching the playoffs last season. The World Cup winner has been shoddy with his performances with both bat and ball. This has purportedly led to the management looking for new options. Although he returned to the team ahead of the 2024 season and took over as captain, Hardik is reportedly not in the best of bonhomie with the team’s senior players.

The management is keen to find a new captain to lead the Mumbai Indians next season. The management will likely offer Hardik a chance to continue as a player. But it remains to be seen whether the player will accept this offer.