Ashwin does not rule out Naman Dhir as a future Mumbai Indians captain, expects Hardik Pandya to be traded

On Hardik Pandya

Ashwin said that it was almost certain that Pandya would not be with Mumbai Indians unless the franchise tried to retain him at the last moment, but that he believed he would be traded. He suggested that Mumbai could look to acquire a leg-spinner or an Indian left-arm pace bowler from Punjab Kings as part of a deal for Pandya.

Pandya took over as the captain of Mumbai Indians in 2024. The franchise has failed to reach the playoffs twice in three seasons under him, which has increased scrutiny of the captaincy. Whether the team trades him is for the franchise to decide, and the window for trades closes before the retention deadline, which is 15 November.

On Sharma's future in the league, Ashwin said that it is not known whether he will play only one more year or longer. In remarks reported on 15 October, he had suggested that Mumbai could make Sharma the captain again while retaining Pandya and getting the best out of him. He argued that it would be extremely difficult to find a like-for-like replacement for Pandya, which made a change of captain a possibly better solution than trading him away. That idea is speculative, and Mumbai Indians have not confirmed anything.

Ashwin has become one of the more active voices on the league, and his channel is often the first to put a name to a rumour. Franchises do not comment on such remarks, and they tend to announce their retention decisions only on the deadline day, so there will be little confirmation before 15 November.

The franchise's captaincy has changed hands once in recent years. Sharma, who led the side to five titles, was replaced by Pandya before the 2024 season after Pandya was traded from Gujarat Titans, a move that divided the fans. Since then Mumbai have been inconsistent, and each season has brought speculation about a change. Dhir is a new name in that conversation. He is a young middle-order batter with a record of finishing chases, and his recent scores for India, including 42 off 15 balls and 31 off 17, have raised his profile.

None of this comes from the franchise. Ashwin has been a regular commentator on the IPL on his channel, and his remarks make news because of his experience, but they are opinions. The official calendar has the retention deadline on 15 November and the mini-auction on 16 December in Goa, according to reports. By the first date, Mumbai Indians will have to say whom they are keeping, and any trade will have to be agreed with another franchise and the player.

For supporters, the questions are the ones that Ashwin raised. Who captains the team in the 2027 season? Will Sharma, who is in his late thirties, continue to play? And can the team rebuild its bowling, which has been its weak point? A captaincy that goes to a young player such as Dhir would be a long-term bet, and it would make sense only if the franchise plans to build around him for years. For now, it is an idea from a commentator, and the franchise has not said a word.