Ravichandran Ashwin has sounded the alarm for the Mumbai Indians’ leadership ahead of the IPL 2026. The veteran off-spinner, who played for the Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Rajasthan Royals, opined that Suryakumar Yadav could have been a more suitable choice for the skipper’s role, especially after leading India to a third T20 World Cup triumph.

Hardik Pandya took over as Mumbai Indians captain after being traded from the Gujarat Titans before IPL 2024. With the team having not won a title since 2020, the team management moved on from Rohit Sharma, handing the reins to the all-rounder.

Pandya’s initial tenure as skipper faced criticism, with fans frequently booing him during IPL 2024 matches. However, his contributions to India’s T20 World Cup victory helped him regain support. In the following season, the Mumbai Indians reached the playoffs but were eliminated by the Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2.
Ashwin expressed that overlooking Suryakumar for leadership is concerning, given his stellar record. Since taking over as India’s T20I captain in July 2024, SKY has not lost a single series and led the team to a World Cup win.

“It’s obvious that Suryakumar Yadav deserves to be the captain of the Mumbai Indians. Usko captaincy dena hi chahiye (He definitely earns the role). The fact that it hasn’t happened is concerning,” Ashwin said on his YouTube show Ash Ki Baat.

“We also have to look at Hardik’s track record as a captain. He won a title with the Gujarat Titans in his debut season and guided them to the final the following year. When he took over Mumbai, the expectation was that he would maintain that level of success. However, his first season was largely overshadowed by the Rohit Sharma situation,” he added.

Ashwin predicted that Hardik will face a tough IPL season ahead, as many feel Suryakumar could have been a more suitable choice to lead Mumbai Indians.
“Now he faces the challenge of people pointing out that Suryakumar Yadav is the current Indian team captain, while Hardik leads Mumbai. It’s a tough situation. However, I don’t believe Hardik Pandya, as captain, lacks the qualifications. He certainly has them. He performed exceptionally well as the captain of the Gujarat Titans,” he mentioned.

“Setting aside outside distractions, and with the backing of the players and management, I believe Hardik is capable of doing a good job. He just needs to utilize this squad effectively,” he concluded.