Rohit Sharma and Tilak Varma in race to replace Hardik Pandya as MI captain for IPL 2027Mumbai Indians deny reports but open to Hardik trade.
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Rohit Sharma and Tilak Varma in race to replace Hardik Pandya as MI captain in IPL 2027 (Photo: AFP)
Will Rohit Sharma become Mumbai Indians captain again for IPL 2027? There is a big buzz around this question as the retention deadline comes closerReports say MI management is thinking of giving the captaincy back to Rohit Sharma.
According to a report by Sports Tak and India Today, Rohit Sharma is likely to replace Hardik Pandya as MI captain for the IPL 2027 seasonThe franchise has not won a title since 2020 and has struggled in the last three seasons.
Why is MI thinking of captaincy change?
Rohit Sharma is the most successful captain in Mumbai Indians historyHe led MI to five IPL titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020He was removed from captaincy before IPL 2024 when Hardik Pandya returned to MI from Gujarat Titans.
Hardik led Gujarat Titans to the title in 2022 and to the final in 2023But his time as MI captain has not been goodUnder Hardik, Mumbai Indians finished last in IPL 2024, reached Qualifier 2 in 2025, and finished 9th in IPL 2026 with only 5 winsThere were also reports of a divide in the dressing room during the last season.
Rohit will turn 40 during IPL 2027Reports say the management trusts his experience and wants him to lead one more timeThis could be his last IPL season as he is also preparing for the ODI World Cup 2027 later that year.
Mumbai Indians deny reports, Hardik trade talks on
But there is another side to the storyAs per NDTV, Mumbai Indians have denied all such reportsFranchise sources told NDTV that there is “no truth to speculation” about Rohit returning as captainThey said that MI have not even started internal discussions about captaincy for IPL 2027 yet.
The same report confirmed that MI is exploring a trade for Hardik Pandya and is open to offers from other teamsTeams like Kolkata Knight Riders, Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings have shown interest in the star all-rounderHowever, no suitable deal has been found so far.
If a trade with Rajasthan Royals happens, young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal could come to Mumbai IndiansThis could be a long-term move for MI.
Who else is in race for captaincy?
If Hardik leaves, Mumbai Indians have other captaincy options tooSuryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma are the front-runners.
Suryakumar led India to the T20 World Cup title in 2026 and has led MI in 5 matches when Hardik was not available, winning 2But his IPL 2026 was poorHe scored only 270 runs in 13 innings and lost his place in Team India after the World Cup.
Tilak Varma is also a strong optionHe is India’s current T20I vice-captain and has led Hyderabad, South Zone and India A teamsHe has become a key player for MI in the last few seasons.
New Zealand white-ball captain Mitchell Santner is also in the raceJasprit Bumrah is not being considered due to his injury history.
For now, Mumbai Indians have not officially announced anything about captaincy for IPL 2027.
