The 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League has been nothing short of exciting and now all teams are at the business end of the IPL and no team has secured their spot in the top 4 yet. It has been a rollercoaster of emotions for some of the franchises as they were off to terrible starts but they found their way back mid-season and vice-versa. The captaincy has been a point that has been discussed by the experts after most matches. We have seen Shreyas Iyer emerging as a potential captain for India with his IPL captaincy and the captaincy of Rajat Patidar has been impressive as well.

However some of the teams have faced issues with their captains, as they have been lacking form and the decision-making skill in crunch moments. In tournaments like the IPL, there is a very small margin for error and repeated mistakes cannot be entertained. The captaincy of Hardik Pandya has been one such example as he has failed to lead the team by example and hasn’t been able to draw the desired results. There are other such teams who have had rough patches and here are the 3 teams that could potentially have a change in captaincy in IPL 2026:

3)Mumbai Indians

This could be the most evident of decisions for the fans due to the ongoing situation in the Mumbai Indians camp. There have been rumours of issues in the dressing room and the captaincy of Hardik Pandya. The MI skipper’s form has been a major area of concern as he hasn’t performed well and has been subject to scrutiny from the critics.

Suryakumar Yadav replaced Hardik Pandya in the game against LSG, due to a back spasm for the all-rounder and Mumbai won the game as well. There is a chance that Jasprit Bumrah could take the leadership role for the franchise considering his long tenure and his skillset as the strike bowler of the side.

 

2)Kolkata Knight Riders

The IPL 2027 auction would be perhaps the most defining moment for KKR as they will have to take some stern and bitter decisions at the table. Ajinkya Rahane has been a fine captain but with the Mega Auction set to take place, KKR could do everything in their might to try for a futuristic option. The form of Ajinkya Rahane has been inconsistent and he has struggled to adapt to the modern game.

Another problem for the side will be their lack of captaincy choices within their current core set of players. Rinku Singh would be the front runner for the captaincy role if KKR fail to acquire their desired targets in the IPL 2027 auction. A captaincy change would be a much needed one for the side and it will be interesting to see who will take responsibility for a new era unfolding.

1)Rajasthan Royals

The Rajasthan Royals’ form has been dipping in the second half of the tournament and they will be disappointed with their performance. Riyan Parag’s captaincy and the example set by him will be under scrutiny after this edition of the IPL. He hasn’t been at his absolute best with the bat and his bowling has been used rarely. There is a chance that they could hand over the captaincy to Yashasvi Jaiswal considering the number of cricketing years left in him and the stardom he has achieved at a young age.