IPL 2024: Rohit Sharma back as Mumbai Indians Captain? Who will lead MI if Hardik Pandya misses IPL 2024

Add as a preferred source on Google

Hardik Pandya is set to miss IPL 2024 due to his ankle injury which he sustained during the World Cup 2023.

Pandya twisted his left ankle while fielding in the World Cup match against Bangladesh, and since has been out of action. The player hasn't travelled to South Africa and was also subsequently ruled out from the upcoming series against Afghanistan.

Now further reports are coming out that Hardik Pandya is likely to be sidelined for the upcoming IPL 2024. It is being reported that his injury will take longer to heal and the timeline till IPL may not be enough for the player to return to his full fitness.

"There is no update on Hardik's fitness status as of now and one can say there remains a big question mark of him being available before the end of IPL," a BCCI source said.

But amid this, there is a huge question mark on the captaincy fray for Mumbai Indians. Pandya returned to Mumbai Indians ahead of the IPL auction and then was subsequently appointed as the new MI captain ahead of IPL 2024 season.

Now if the 30-year-old's unfortunate injury stops him from participating in the IPL, there is a question on who will take charge of the Paltans in the new IPL season. Here are three names who may replace Pandya as captain ahead of IPL 2024-

Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav is a likely candidate to replace Hardik Pandya as the captain of Mumbai Indians. Surya captained MI last season in the absence of Rohit Sharma in patches and will be likely to take up the role again in the 2024 season. He is also currently captaining the Indian T20 side as he led India against Australia and South Africa.

Jasprit Bumrah

Mumbai Indians can also pass the captaincy baton to Jasprit Bumrah. The Premier Indian Pacer has returned to action after his long injury layoff. And it can be Bumrah's opportunity to prove his captaincy credentials in the upcoming IPL 2024 season. He recently captained the Indian side in the Ireland T20 series, but may have a bigger and longer role at the MI helm.

Rohit Sharma

This will be a monumental decision of MI decide to revert back to their captain supremo Rohit Sharma. MI removed Rohit from captaincy and replaced him with Pandya, now it is to be seen whether Rohit Sharma accepts if the offer comes back to him.

The veteran India star is the most successful captain of Mumbai Indians, winning 5 IPL titles with them and MI may have to resort to the experienced leader if Hardik Pandya misses out.