Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians have officially crashed out of the playoff race after another disappointing campaign, as MI is eliminated from IPL 2026 with several matches still left in the league stage. The franchise has now gone six consecutive seasons without winning the IPL title, making it the longest trophy drought in MI history. For a side once known for dominating the tournament and lifting MI’s trophies regularly, the decline has become difficult for fans to digest. The elimination has once again sparked massive debate over the leadership transition from Rohit Sharma as MI captain to Hardik Pandya.
MI’s Glory Years Only Came Under Rohit Sharma
One statistic now dominating social media discussions is that all of MI’s trophies came only during Rohit Sharma’s captaincy era. Rohit led the Mumbai Indians from 2013 to 2023 and delivered five IPL titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
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Before his captaincy stint, MI had iconic leaders like Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Ricky Ponting, and Shaun Pollock, but the franchise could not build a dynasty. Even after Rohit stepped down, the franchise still had world-class coaches, star Indian batters, elite overseas talent, and experienced finishers, yet the results completely disappeared.
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The contrast has made many fans believe that Rohit Sharma as MI captain was the defining factor behind the franchise’s success. His calm leadership, tactical decisions, and ability to handle pressure situations helped shape the Mumbai Indians into the most successful team in IPL history. While MI’s trophies remain one of the biggest achievements in the league, the team has looked far less settled since the leadership switch in IPL 2024.
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Why Hardik Pandya’s GT Success Did Not Work at MI
Hardik Pandya arrived at the Mumbai Indians with enormous expectations after his successful captaincy spell with the Gujarat Titans. He guided GT to the IPL title in their debut season in 2022 and followed it up with another final appearance in 2023. That success convinced MI management to bring him back and immediately appoint him captain. However, things have unfolded very differently in Mumbai.
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One of the biggest reasons is that the environments at GT and MI were completely different. The Gujarat Titans were a fresh franchise where Hardik built the team culture around himself from day one. At the Mumbai Indians, there was already an established dressing-room structure built during Rohit Sharma as MI captain. The sudden leadership change also upset a large section of the fanbase and created emotional pressure around the team. Injuries, inconsistent team combinations, poor bowling displays, and a lack of momentum further damaged the campaign.
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MI is eliminated from IPL 2026 after winning only three out of eleven matches and slipping to ninth place on the table with a negative net run rate. Hardik himself missed games due to injury concerns, while Suryakumar Yadav’s stand-in captaincy also failed to change results. Rumours about Hardik unfollowing MI on Instagram added more speculation around his future, even though those claims later turned out to be false. Still, the season showed that replacing the formula that brought trophies was never going to be easy.
Can Rohit Sharma Realistically Return as MI captain?
With the Mumbai Indians suffering another failed season, speculation has already started over whether Hardik Pandya will continue as captain next year. Many reports and fan reactions suggest that the franchise could consider another leadership change after such a disappointing campaign. Naturally, this has reopened discussions around Rohit Sharma as MI captain once again.
𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐈𝐏𝐋 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐲
𝟔 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 (2021 to 2026)*
𝟓 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 (2008 to 2012) #IPL2026 #RCBvMI pic.twitter.com/zFOFDXS7wT
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) May 10, 2026
There are strong reasons why a comeback cannot be ruled out completely. Rohit remains one of the most respected figures in the MI dressing room and still commands huge support among fans. His tactical understanding, man-management skills, and experience in pressure games played a huge role in helping the franchise win trophies during their golden era. Many supporters now feel the team lost its identity after removing him from leadership.
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However, there are also challenges to such a move. Rohit is now in the later phase of his IPL career, and the franchise may prefer investing in a younger long-term captain rather than going backwards. Still, after MI is eliminated from IPL 2026 in such a disappointing fashion, the pressure from fans and the emotional connection attached to Rohit’s leadership may force the management to seriously rethink their future plans.
Related Article：Huge Letdown! 5 Worst Bowlers in IPL 2026
Conclusion
Mumbai Indians now face one of the biggest rebuilding phases in the franchise’s history. With MI is eliminated from IPL 2026 and the team enduring its longest title drought, major decisions are expected ahead of next season. While Hardik Pandya’s future as captain remains uncertain, fan demand for Rohit Sharma as MI captain continues to grow louder.
For the first time in history, Mumbai Indians are now six consecutive seasons without an IPL trophy — their longest title drought ever! 💙➡️💔#IPL2026 #RCBvMI #Sportskeeda pic.twitter.com/fRSTP4qwgZ
— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) May 10, 2026
The management must now decide whether to trust a long-term transition project or return to the proven formula that delivered MI’s trophies and established the franchise as an IPL powerhouse. Whatever decision MI takes, the pressure to bring back success and restore the team’s identity will be massive heading into IPL 2027.
