Hardik Pandya prepared to stay at Mumbai Indians under Rohit Sharma if trade deal fails
According to a report in The Indian Express published on October 30, 2026, Hardik Pandya is prepared to play for Mumbai Indians under Rohit Sharma if a proposed trade deal does not materialise, with trade discussions unresolved ahead of IPL 2027.
Hardik replaced Rohit as Mumbai Indians captain ahead of the 2024 IPL season, a leadership change that attracted scrutiny after a difficult campaign. Under Hardik in 2024, Mumbai won four of their 14 matches and finished ninth in the standings. The team’s title drought had stretched to six years at that point, which increased pressure around the captaincy decision. The report says Hardik would not insist on a move elsewhere if the trade collapsed.
The franchise had been considering options for the captaincy even before the end of the previous season, The Indian Express reported. Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah were among the established players mentioned as potential candidates, while Tilak Varma was viewed as a possible option for the future. Mumbai eventually reverted to Rohit Sharma as captain.
The report adds that Rohit initially suggested Tilak Varma as a potential successor before the franchise approached him to reassume the captaincy. A source told The Indian Express that Rohit agreed to return after a series of discussions. The franchise also sought Rohit’s input during coaching appointments, indicating his involvement in team planning prior to the captaincy change.
Rohit Sharma shares the record for the most IPL titles as captain with MS Dhoni, both having won the trophy five times, the report noted. If the proposed trade involving Hardik does fall through, the two could be in the same dressing room again in very different roles from their last spell at Mumbai.
Captaincy is not the only alteration at Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2027: Kieron Pollard has been appointed head coach, replacing Mahela Jayawardene. The franchise announced the remainder of its support staff on Friday, naming Robin Uthappa as batting coach, Mitchell McClenaghan as bowling coach in place of Lasith Malinga, T Dilip as fielding coach, and Dhawal Kulkarni as development bowling coach.
With Pollard leading the coaching group and Rohit potentially back as captain, Mumbai Indians could present a markedly different setup when they begin their IPL 2027 campaign, and Hardik appears willing to be part of that arrangement even without the captain’s armband.
