CHENNAI: Three years after a much-hyped 'homecoming' at Mumbai Indians, Hardik Pandya has finally moved to a new franchise in the Indian Premier League. And this time, to Punjab Kings in what was a direct swap with India pacer Arshdeep Singh. The deal, though has been widely reported in the past few days, was made official by the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Wednesday.
While there is a lot to dissect on the background of the deal, what it means to MI and PBKS squad composition, how the five-time champs might have the most lethal new-ball combo in Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep and whether Pandya could flourish under skipper Shreyas Iyer and coach Ricky Ponting.
The biggest question of all, however, remains unanswered so far. Who will lead Mumbai Indians in the 2027 IPL season? And the answer might not be simple despite having multiple India captains in the mix starting from their own former skipper Rohit Sharma. And with good reason. This is not a decision they would rush into. Not after what happened the last time they had a change of guard.
After an incredible run from 2013-2020, where MI won five titles in eight seasons, under Rohit, they have spent the next six years without silverware. The first three trophy-less years since 2020 eventually led to the one-of-a-kind trade with Gujarat Titans that brought Pandya back to MI. The all-rounder left MI for GT before 2022 and was named captain of the new franchise based out of Ahmedabad. He led them to the title in the first year and followed it up with another final show before returning to MI in an all-cash trade.
The move — and the way it was handled with Rohit removed as captain at a time he was still India's all-format skipper who had led the country to the ODI World Cup final — did not go down well with the fans, and to an extent even created a tension within the dressing room which also includes senior stars like Suryakumar Yadav and Bumrah. Pandya was booed by the fans at Wankhede, there were murmurs of Rohit leaving the franchise before the mega auction and growing tension among the senior stars.
Though MI managed to retain their star combo for the next cycle, the results were not as expected. By the time the 2026 season came to an end, it seemed clear that Pandya wanted to leave. The question remained as to where, and on Wednesday, the destination was made official.
Knowing how things went in the last three seasons, MI would be careful about their next step. One that would determine their fortunes next year. They have three stars, who have captained MI before, in the mix. Surya, T20 World Cup-winning India skipper who is looking for motivation, form and purpose as he is set to lead Mumbai in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Bumrah, an all-time great and MI-grown pacer who has led India and expressed his desire to lead the franchise in the past. Then there is the biggest star of all, Rohit, who holds the respect of the other two and has in the past acted as a gel to keep the star combo of MI together during retentions. The second-most successful IPL captain (in terms of matches won) after MS Dhoni.
One of things that could tilt things towards Rohit is that this would be the last season before the mega auction and 2027 season and year is of utmost importance for him. The 39-year-old, who is keen to play the ODI World Cup later next year, would be looking to get as much game time as possible, and be motivated enough to make a point. However, it could also end up being a double-edged sword in terms of fitness and form. Which is why, it would be premature to say Rohit is the likeliest of choices. However, all eyes would definitely be on the former skipper as the five-time champs look to figure out their next captain.