Mumbai Indians (MI) are set to hold a review meeting next week to assess their campaign in the recently concluded IPL season. A variety of issues ranging from trade talks involving Hardik Pandya to deciding on the new captain will be discussed during the meeting, as per reports. MI failed to make it the IPL 2026 playoffs and finished at the 9th position on the standings, marking yet another poor season for the five-time champions.
According to a report by the Times of India, Mumbai Indians’ top management will meet next week to review head coach Mahela Jayawardene’s report on the team’s IPL 2026 campaign. Some of the key aspects of the discussion include taking a call on Hardik Pandya‘s potential trade, deciding on who will be the next captain of the franchise, and the future of the former Sri Lankan star as the coach of the franchise.
Hardik Pandya’s Future Tops MI Meeting Agenda
After MI missed the IPL playoffs for the second time in three seasons since his return, Pandya reportedly informed the franchise that he wanted to move on. The all-rounder claimed that he was mentally stressed, and hence wished to move to another team. Since the end of IPL 2026, speculations around Pandya’s potential trade has been rife, with reports claiming that at least seven teams were interested in Hardik. Among the teams who have reportedly expressed interest are Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Kolkata Knight Riders (with captaincy), and Rajasthan Royals. A report even claimed that SRH and RCB were the only two teams who haven’t shown interest in Pandya.
Bumrah and Tilak Varma in Captaincy Race
According to the report, Hardik Pandya is not the only Mumbai Indians player attracting interest in the trade market. Another former India captain, either Suryakumar Yadav or Rohit Sharma, is also reportedly on the radar of multiple franchises after a below-par 2026 season.The report states that two players have emerged as frontrunners to replace Pandya as the captain, Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma. Both players have been a part of MI since making their IPL debut and have also captained the franchise on some occasions.
Seniority wise, Bumrah would be the best option for MI as he hardly misses any IPL games and has played a full season for the franchise over the last decade. He has also been one of the most consistent wicket-taking bowlers for the five-time champions. Tilak Varma, on the other hand, made his debut for MI in IPL 2022.
While he has amassed 300+ runs in every season he has played so far, his returns with the bat in the recent times have been poor. This will make the franchise rethink their decision to consider him as a option. However, MI will also want to have a captain who stays in the position for a long time. Therefore, it remains to be seen who MI will pick between Bumrah and Tilak.