Ravichandran Ashwin Advocates for Suryakumar Yadav as Mumbai Indians Captain Ahead of IPL 2026

As IPL 2026 approaches, Ravichandran Ashwin has sparked a conversation about the leadership of the Mumbai Indians, advocating for Suryakumar Yadav to take the captaincy. With Yadav's recent success in the T20 World Cup and Hardik Pandya's mixed performance as captain, Ashwin's insights shed light on the challenges facing the team. This article explores the implications of these leadership dynamics and what they mean for the future of the franchise.

By Narendra Chaudhary Mar 23, 2026, 19:24 IST

Ashwin's Perspective on Mumbai Indians' Leadership

Ravichandran Ashwin, the former Indian off-spinner, has stirred discussions regarding the leadership of the Mumbai Indians as the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) approaches, set to kick off on March 28, 2026, with a match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Ashwin, a notable figure in IPL history, believes that Suryakumar Yadav, who recently led India to victory in the T20 World Cup 2026, should be at the helm of the Mumbai franchise. He expressed concern over Yadav not being appointed as captain, stating, 'Suryakumar Yadav not being the captain of the Mumbai Indians is a no-brainer. Usko captaincy dena hi chahiye (He should definitely be the captain). And the fact that it isn’t happening, I’m sure, is a bit of a concern,' during his YouTube show, Ash Ki Baat.

While Ashwin suggested that the Mumbai Indians should consider Yadav for captaincy, he also acknowledged Hardik Pandya's leadership skills, citing his successful tenure with the Gujarat Titans, where he clinched the title in his debut season and led the team to the finals in the subsequent season. Ashwin noted that when Pandya transitioned to Mumbai, expectations were high for him to maintain that winning momentum. However, his initial season was marred by the Rohit Sharma situation, which may have distracted him.

'We should also look at Hardik’s captaincy credentials. Hardik Pandya, as the Gujarat Titans captain, won a title in his first season, and the team was the runner-up in the second. When he came to Mumbai, the expectation was that he would be the captain and continue that trend. However, his first year was spent just dealing with the Rohit Sharma saga,' Ashwin remarked.

Pandya took over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma in IPL 2024, a decision that faced backlash from fans, leading to a disappointing season where the team finished last with only four wins out of fourteen matches. However, IPL 2025 saw a turnaround, with the team securing eight victories and a playoff spot, although they were eliminated by the Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2. Ashwin pointed out that this season, Pandya will face scrutiny as many will compare him to Yadav, the current Indian team captain, despite Pandya's credentials as the leader of the Mumbai franchise.

'Now he has to contend with a lot of people telling him that Suryakumar Yadav is the incumbent Indian team captain, yet Hardik is the captain of Mumbai. It’s a very challenging situation; a lot of things could be going through his mind. But I don’t think Hardik Pandya, the captain, lacks credentials—he does have them. He did a great job with the captaincy for the Gujarat Titans,' Ashwin stated.

'Leaving external issues aside, without any pressure and with the support of the players and management, I still think Hardik can do a fine job. He needs to use this squad that he has in the right way,' he added. The last time the Mumbai Indians lifted the IPL trophy was in 2020, and another unsuccessful season for Pandya could pave the way for Suryakumar Yadav to take over the captaincy next year, which was the reason for his replacement of Rohit Sharma in 2024.