Rayudu urges Hardik Pandya to drop IPL captaincy, prioritise enjoyment ahead of IPL 2027
Ambati Rayudu said on November 5, 2026, amid trade talks between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings that Hardik Pandya should relinquish IPL captaincy and concentrate on enjoying his cricket ahead of IPL 2027. Rayudu made the comments as discussions over a potential trade involving Hardik and India fast bowler Arshdeep Singh between Mumbai and Punjab gathered momentum.
Those trade talks are reported to be in advanced stages but not finalised, with Punjab emerging as a leading contender to sign Pandya; Shreyas Iyer is expected to continue as PBKS captain, which would mean Hardik would join the franchise as a player rather than as a leader. Rayudu argued that arriving at a new club without immediate captaincy responsibilities would suit Hardik’s current needs and mental state.
On the kind of environment Hardik should seek, Rayudu said: "If I am in Hardik's shoes, I would want to go to a team where I would enjoy my cricket, in a place where I would be in a good mental space, and not put too much on my plate right away. Ease into the franchise, learn the culture of the franchise and then get onto the leadership circle, and eventually take up the mantle if he wants it. Right now, I think he needs to go out there and play good cricket." He suggested a gradual acclimatisation to a new dressing room rather than taking on heavy responsibilities immediately.
Rayudu was explicit that Pandya should not continue as Mumbai Indians captain if he remains with the five-time champions, reflecting on Hardik’s three-season tenure since returning from Gujarat Titans ahead of IPL 2024. "I think in Mumbai, he felt he was cornered. Once you feel you are cornered, you are always looking over your shoulders. Once that happens in the dressing room, you would tend to come out in ways you wouldn't want to," Rayudu said. He added: "A lot of things didn't go well for Hardik. I don't know if it's Hardik's fault or someone else's fault. From now on, if he wants to stay in MI, I don't think he should be the captain. He should just play as a player, enjoy his game and try and win matches for MI."
Addressing the alternative of a move away from Mumbai, Rayudu reiterated his stance against immediate captaincy: "But if he goes out, definitely not the captain. At least, for one season. I just don't want him to be captain," he added. He also acknowledged that Mumbai Indians might be hesitant to trade a player of Hardik’s calibre, noting: "I am not sure if MI would want to let go of a talent like that. Even at the last minute, they must be thinking really, really hard, saying, 'If we let go of him, can we get someone of that quality again?' They have already done that once in the past. He went to GT, won a title and then came back to MI."
Rayudu pointed to Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting as a potential influence on Hardik’s form and confidence, saying: "He has actually played a lot of cricket under Ricky Ponting. Ponting loves him. That's one franchise that he would love to go to, get his mental space right under Ponting." On-field returns during Hardik’s second stint with Mumbai Indians included 646 runs in 39 matches at an average of around 22.3 and a strike rate of 148.8, along with 29 wickets and a best bowling figure of 5/36 recorded in IPL 2025.
Pandya’s 2026 season was disrupted by back spasms that forced him to miss three matches, with rehabilitation then complicated by a quadriceps strain followed by a shin injury. He has not played competitive cricket since his final IPL appearance on May 24 and remains at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, working towards a return; India captain Shubman Gill recently confirmed that he would need to play domestic cricket before being considered for an international comeback.