Mumbai Indians on Saturday “elevated” Kieron Pollard to the position of head coach, replacing Mahela Jayawardene, for IPL 2027, but the focus has now turned to the captaincy issue.
The five-time champions haven’t performed up to expectations in the last few seasons and there has been talk that the management isn’t happy with Hardik Pandya’s performance since he took up the leadership role in IPL 2024.
Mumbai Indians have been tight-lipped, though sources have confirmed that there has been ongoing talk with various franchises on a possible trade for Pandya.
The 32-year-old has been battling injury issues since IPL 2026 and hasn’t played any cricket since. Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir recently spoke about his importance to the side for next year’s World Cup.
Pandya has been undergoing rehabilitation at the
Centre for Excellence since shifting base to Bengaluru
in August.
Pollard’s appointment as head coach could work in Pandya’s favour since the all-rounder is understood to share a good rapport with him. However, there were reports that Mumbai Indians had been in talks with at least two franchises, including Chennai Super Kings, on a possible Pandya trade.
Kolkata Knight Riders are learnt to have not shown much interest in Pandya.
The latest round of discussions has been with Rajasthan Royals for a possible trade with Yashasvi Jaiswal. Another Royals player could also be involved in the deal. Both the franchises are learnt to have shown considerable interest, though there is nothing official yet. Jaiswal plays for Mumbai in domestic cricket.
Sources told The Telegraph that a clear picture could emerge early next month. Mumbai Indians will have to decide on a new captain if Pandya departs. Tilak Varma is believed to be ahead in the leadership race.
The deadline for retentions ahead of the December 16 mini-auction in Goa is November 15. The trading window will close one week before the auction, reopen a week after the auction and remain open until one month before the start of the IPL.
Pollard, who was part of all five of Mumbai Indians’ IPL title-winning campaigns, said the first step would be to accept their recent struggles and work towards fixing it. He wants the team to “be brave” to overcome the fear of failure and show the fans that they have “fire in the belly”.