Hardik Pandya leaves Mumbai Indians for Punjab Kings: Will Rohit Sharma return as MI captain for IPL 2027?

Hardik Pandya's second stint with Mumbai Indians has officially come to an end, with the Indian all rounder joining Punjab Kings in a blockbuster trade ahead of IPL 2027.

In exchange, Mumbai Indians have secured the services of Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh, who has spent his entire IPL career with Punjab Kings since making his debut in 2019.

The trade was confirmed on Wednesday, November 11, with both players moving for Rs 18 crore each.

But the big question now is: Will Rohit Sharma return as Mumbai Indians captain?

Rohit Sharma set for captaincy comeback?

According to The Indian Express, Mumbai Indians are likely to bring Rohit back as captain for IPL 2027.

The report claimed that Rohit initially suggested young batter Tilak Varma for the leadership role, but the franchise management wanted the five time IPL winning captain to take charge again.

Following discussions, Rohit reportedly agreed to return to the role.

However, Mumbai Indians have yet to officially announce their new captain.

Hardik's appointment never went down well with fans

Hardik returned to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans ahead of IPL 2024 and immediately replaced Rohit Sharma as captain.

However, the decision did not go down well with a large section of Mumbai Indians supporters.

Many fans were unhappy that Rohit, who had guided the franchise to five IPL titles, was removed from the captaincy to make way for Hardik.

The backlash was so strong that Hardik was repeatedly booed during his first season back, including at Mumbai's home ground, Wankhede Stadium.

During a match against Rajasthan Royals in April 2024, commentator Sanjay Manjrekar even had to ask the crowd to "behave" after Hardik was booed at the toss.

Rohit, meanwhile, continued to receive enormous support from the fans.

And now, with Hardik leaving the franchise, the possibility of Rohit returning as captain will certainly excite many Mumbai Indians supporters.

Santner's viral comment adds to speculation

Adding to the excitement, a recent interaction between Rohit and his Mumbai Indians teammate Mitchell Santner has caught the attention of cricket fans.

Following the rain abandoned third ODI between India and New Zealand in Hamilton on Tuesday, Rohit greeted Santner by calling him "Mitchi".

Santner responded with a simple "Hello, skipper", prompting fresh speculation about Rohit's possible return as Mumbai Indians captain.

Of course, it could simply have been a friendly greeting to the former India captain, but the timing has certainly added to the discussion.

Can Rohit bring back Mumbai's glory days?

Mumbai Indians endured three disappointing seasons under Hardik's captaincy.

The franchise finished bottom of the table in 2024, reached the playoffs in 2025 and finished ninth in 2026 after managing just four wins in 14 matches.

Rohit, on the other hand, led Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020.

His return as captain would be a significant development for the franchise as it looks to end its title drought.

For Hardik, the move offers a fresh start at Punjab Kings, where Shreyas Iyer is expected to continue as captain.

With Hardik's departure now confirmed, all eyes are on Mumbai Indians and their next big announcement.

Will they turn to their most successful captain once again?