After being practically eliminated from playoffs contention in IPL 2026, the five-time champions, the Mumbai Indians, have run into a new problem. Who will be the captain during the game against Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 10?
If recent reports are to be believed, both Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav are likely to be unavailable for this particular clash. Pandya is MI’s full-time captain this year, whereas Yadav took over in the two matches that Pandya missed for various reasons.
Pandya missed MI’s latest match (vs Lucknow Super Giants on May 4) after a back spasm, while Suryakumar recently became a father. In these circumstances, there has been widespread debate over who should lead MI if both Hardik and ‘SKY’ were not to play.
The first answer on most people’s minds seems to be Rohit Sharma. Sharma led MI to five IPL titles between 2013 and 2020 before being unceremoniously sacked prior to the 2024 season. For that season, MI had traded in Hardik Panyda from the Gujarat Titans to specifically become the captain.
Now, former CSK star Subramaniam Badrinath has weighed in on this debate.
“I’m not sure Rohit will accept captaining the side” – Badrinath
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Badrinath said that going back to Rohit Sharma as captain would not be the right decision for the Mumbai Indians.
“MI looks at a different side when Rohit scores runs. When Rohit gets going, it feels like everyone in MI gets energised. Also, if Hardik and Suryakumar Yadav don’t play the game, it’s not right to go back to Rohit Sharma as captain just because no one is there. I am not even sure if he’ll accept captaining the side,” Badrinath said.
Rohit Sharma in IPL 2026
Thanks to a string of injuries, Rohit has only managed to play 5 of his team’s 10 matches in IPL 2026. During the reverse fixture against RCB on April 12, Rohit injured his toe. A hamstring injury further delayed his return to action.
On his return to the field, though, Rohit played a brilliant knock of 84 runs to lead MI to a successful run chase of 229 against LSG. Overall, Rohit has made 221 runs in five matches at an average of 55 and a strike rate of 174. He has also made two fifties, both in successful run chases of targets of more than 220.
Also Read: Rohit Sharma hints at post-retirement plans as TV debut teaser goes viral amid IPL 2026
Mumbai Indians’ form and next match in IPL 2026
With just 3 wins in 10 matches, the Mumbai Indians are about as good as done as far as IPL 2026 is concerned. Their win against LSG had snapped a three-match losing streak, but they are now out of time.
MI could win all four of their remaining matches, but they would still need help from other results and a massive jump in their net run rate. On average, MI would need to win every game by approximately 94 runs to get their NRR into the qualification range.
In their next match, MI will face RCB at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. MI will hope that Rohit Sharma can take them to another win, especially if both Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav are unavailable.