Three seasons into the leadership transition at Mumbai Indians, criticism over the franchise’s decision to replace Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as captain continues to grow. After finishing at the bottom of the table in IPL 2024 and facing the possibility of another disappointing campaign in IPL 2026, questions are being raised about whether the move has delivered the desired results.

Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary believes Rohit has had to witness the decline of the successful structure he helped build at MI. In a recent interaction, Tiwary suggested Rohit’s expressions in the dugout often reflect frustration, hinting that the former skipper may feel things would have unfolded differently under his leadership.

Tiwary also predicted a captaincy change ahead of the 2027 season. While he feels Suryakumar Yadav could emerge as a strong candidate, especially considering injury concerns surrounding fast bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, he personally hopes Rohit gets another opportunity to lead. According to him, bringing Rohit back would restore respect and potentially help rebuild the side effectively.

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Meanwhile, former India cricketer Murali Kartik questioned the original captaincy decision itself. He pointed out that MI had retained key figures like Rohit Sharma, Bumrah and Suryakumar, making the appointment of Hardik from outside the retained core a move that was always likely to disrupt team dynamics.

Kartik argued that introducing a new captain over established leaders may naturally create surprise and affect the dressing-room environment, making the transition more challenging than anticipated.