Mumbai Indians (MI) are likely to appoint Rohit Sharma as captain in place of Hardik Pandya for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2027 season. According to The Indian Express, the management had considered making the change during IPL 2026 but has now convinced the former captain to take charge again.
The five-time champions have endured a difficult few seasons and have not won the title since 2020. Mumbai have also revamped their coaching staff, bringing back several former players and adding experienced coaches. They appointed Kieron Pollard as head coach ahead of the next season.
Mumbai Indians had wanted Rohit Sharma to replace Pandya midway through the 2026 season when the team struggled. The management also considered Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah as potential captaincy options, while Tilak Varma emerged as a candidate for a longer-term leadership role.
However, the franchise eventually approached Rohit Sharma, who led Mumbai to five IPL titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. He shares the record for the most IPL titles as captain with MS Dhoni.
The report also stated that the franchise sought Rohit's input while appointing the new coaching staff before he travelled to New Zealand for international duty.
"Rohit Sharma initially had suggested Tilak Varma’s name but the franchise has requested him to take over captaincy which he has now agreed. There were series of talks that had happened before him flying to New Zealand and Rohit suggestions were seeked during appointment of new coaches as well," a source told The Indian Express.
Hardik Pandya's Future at Mumbai Indians Remains Uncertain
Hardik Pandya took over as Mumbai captain in 2024 after returning to the franchise from Gujarat Titans (GT) through an all-cash trade ahead of the 2025 season. The appointment attracted criticism from fans, with the all-rounder repeatedly booed by the Wankhede crowd during home matches.
Mumbai have qualified for the playoffs only once in Pandya's three seasons as captain. They endured a particularly disappointing 2026 campaign, losing 10 of their 14 matches, finishing ninth and extending their title drought to six years.
Pandya has also been linked with potential trades to other franchises since the previous season. However, if a transfer does not happen, the report suggests that he has agreed to play under Rohit Sharma's captaincy. Mumbai have reached the playoffs only twice since their last title in 2020.
Mumbai Indians Announce Kieron Pollard-Led Coaching Staff for IPL 2027
Mumbai already appointed Kieron Pollard as head coach, replacing Mahela Jayawardene. The franchise subsequently announced the rest of its support staff, with Robin Uthappa, Mitchell McClenaghan and Dhawal Kulkarni returning in coaching roles.
Uthappa will serve as batting coach. He previously represented Mumbai during the inaugural season in 2008. Former New Zealand fast bowler McClenaghan will replace Lasith Malinga as bowling coach. He played for Mumbai between 2015 and 2020 and was part of four title-winning campaigns.
Former India fielding coach T. Dilip has been appointed fielding coach, while former Mumbai pacer Dhawal Kulkarni will take charge as development bowling coach. Kulkarni represented the franchise in multiple stints and was part of its title-winning teams in 2013 and 2020.
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