Former India selector ahead of 2026 season chris srikanth The emphasis has been on the leadership debate, suggesting a possible change in captaincy. He believes that Suryakumar Yadav, who led India to success in the T20 World Cup, can be handed the reins to see if it changes the fortunes of the team.“He, the franchise owners and the team management, along with Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, have to come together again and get it right again. They should ask Surya to lead this year to see if there is a change in fortunes. They can appoint Surya as captain anytime. They don’t need to announce it right now,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.He further highlighted the unusual dynamics within the team, and pointed out that several World Cup-winning leaders are currently playing under Hardik.“It’s a strange situation. Hardik Pandya is a good captain. But, yes, he now has two T20 World Cup-winning captains playing under him. This is some internal policy within their setup that they have to sort out. From the outside, the obvious choice should be Suryakumar Yadav. But it could be a franchise policy,” he said.Calling it a “strange situation”, Srikkanth suggested that clarity may emerge if Hardik himself chooses to step aside.“This is a strange situation, because Hardik played under Rohit and Surya to help India win the World Cup. Otherwise, Hardik himself should refuse the captaincy and let Surya lead. If Hardik himself says this to the management, things will be resolved. They should say, ‘Let Surya lead and I will support’. This is one way to resolve it,” Srikkanth said.Mumbai Indians will begin their IPL 2026 campaign when they face Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 29.