Suryakumar Yadav’s Rise Casts Doubt on Pandya’s Leadership Role at Mumbai Indians

In a mere three weeks, Hardik Pandya’s world has turned upside down. He left the Caribbean basking in the glory of his success in India’s triumphal march to their first ICC tournament title in 11 years. However, the tides have turned quickly. Elite sport can be ruthless, and Pandya found that out when he was pipped by Suryakumar Yadav for the post of captain of the Indian T20 side for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, while also battling personal issues.

The vote of ‘no confidence’ in his leadership ability was emphatic and inescapable, leaving the flamboyant all-rounder facing another significant question due to one of the most dramatic twists in Indian cricket. Will Mumbai Indians (MI), the franchise with the deepest pockets and the biggest say in the IPL Universe, be willing to give another year to their current preferred leader, Pandya, who replaced their most popular captain, Rohit Sharma, under acrimonious circumstances last year?

Rohit Sharma, by leading the team to the T20 World Cup title, has elevated himself to a status second only to Mahendra Singh Dhoni in Indian cricket, just a few months after being ousted by his IPL franchise. This poses a dilemma for MI before the mega auction next year. What if the Indian skipper isn’t interested in retention? Furthermore, MI has the new Indian T20 captain, Suryakumar Yadav, in their roster, and they must retain him at all costs for next year’s mega auction.

For retaining an Indian skipper, MI might have to make an offer Surya can’t refuse. As the India captain, Surya might now harbor ambitions of also leading the IPL’s most popular franchise. Adding to the complexity, it’s well-known in Indian cricket that pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah enjoys the leadership role, but due to his valuable skills, he can’t always be called upon to lead the team. However, he wouldn’t mind being the first among equals to be retained.

So where does this leave Pandya, who moved to MI after a successful stint with Gujarat Titans, only to be booed across the country during the last IPL season? The IPL Governing Council hasn’t yet announced the number of retentions allowed, but if it remains at four with one being an overseas player, it leaves the franchise with three Indian choices.

The upcoming mega auction will be about building a team for the next five years, requiring some harsh decisions. MI’s core management team, with their hearts on their sleeves, would agree that Pandya’s elevation as skipper didn’t foster a happy environment, and the last-place finish only cemented those theories.

Gautam Gambhir’s entry as India head coach thwarted Pandya’s national captaincy prospects, and even the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar wasn’t fully convinced of his tactical acumen. Pandya needs guidance, which Ashish Nehra provided at GT, but Mark Boucher couldn’t offer the same at MI. Feedback suggests the younger players in the Indian dressing room might respond better to Surya than to Pandya.

What’s next for Pandya? A stellar performance in the Sri Lanka T20Is to prove a point. He can’t just wait for India games; he must play domestic cricket to improve his below-par international appearance percentage of 50 percent across two white-ball formats over the last 19 months (69 games: 46 out of 79 T20Is and 23 ODIs out of 59 ODIs since January 2022).

Indian cricket is always full of twists and turns, and if Pandya aims to be in the Champions Trophy next year, he will need to participate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Baroda in December. Pandya’s leadership ambitions have hit a massive roadblock, but in cricket, it ain’t over till the last ball is bowled.