Hardik Pandya is open to staying at Mumbai Indians and playing under Rohit Sharma if a trade deal does not go through. That is a big change from the past. Hardik took over as captain from Rohit before IPL 2024. The team had a rough season under him. They won only 4 of 14 games and finished ninth. Their wait for a title reached six years. That put a lot of pressure on the captaincy call.
Mumbai had already thought about bringing Rohit back before last season ended. Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah were also seen as possible leaders. Tilak Varma was another option for the future. In the end, the team went back to Rohit. He had led them to five IPL titles.
Rohit first suggested Tilak should take over. But the franchise asked Rohit to lead again. A source said Rohit agreed after a series of talks. His views were also sought when the team picked new coaches. So he was involved in planning even before the captaincy decision.
Rohit now shares the record for most IPL titles as captain with MS Dhoni. Both have won five. If the Hardik trade falls through, the two could work together again. But their roles would be very different from last time.
Mumbai have also changed their coaching setup for IPL 2027. Kieron Pollard is the new head coach. He replaced Mahela Jayawardene. The team announced the rest of the staff on Friday. Three former players are back in new roles. Robin Uthappa is the batting coach. Mitchell McClenaghan is the bowling coach. He replaced Lasith Malinga. T Dilip, who used to coach India’s fielding, takes over the fielding department. Dhawal Kulkarni is the development bowling coach.
Mumbai Indians Top IPL Valuation Rankings at $2.1 Billion
Mumbai Indians are the most valuable team in the IPL. Sportico values them at $2.1 billion. That is about Rs 20,008.8 crore. Every IPL team is now worth at least $1.5 billion. That is about Rs 14,292 crore. Mumbai Indians are worth a little more than some well-known North American teams. Those include the Detroit Tigers and the Vancouver Canucks.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are second at $1.85 billion. That is about Rs 17,626.8 crore. Chennai Super Kings are third at $1.75 billion. That is about Rs 16,674 crore. Kolkata Knight Riders are next at $1.73 billion. That is about Rs 16,483.44 crore. The league average is $1.7 billion, or about Rs 16,197.6 crore. Delhi Capitals sit exactly at that average.
The other teams are a bit below the average. Rajasthan Royals are at $1.65 billion, or about Rs 15,721.2 crore. SunRisers Hyderabad are at $1.62 billion, or about Rs 15,435.36 crore. Gujarat Titans are at $1.58 billion, or about Rs 15,054.24 crore. Punjab Kings are at $1.53 billion, or about Rs 14,577.84 crore. That completes the 10-team league.
The rise in value since 2008 is huge. IPL teams are worth about 1,800% more than when the league started. That is a bigger jump than the NFL, which grew about 800% in the same period. The NBA grew just under 1,700%.
Most IPL team money comes from the BCCI’s central pool. Broadcast and digital media rights mostly fund that pool. Under the current deals, each team gets about $50–55 million a year from the BCCI. That is about Rs 476.4–523.0 crore. The board keeps half of the media rights fees after production costs. It shares about 90% of the rest equally among the 10 teams. The other 10% is tied to performance.
Teams also make money from ticket sales, sponsorships and commercial partnerships. Merchandise and other team deals add more income. The average IPL team made about $74.4 million in total revenue in the 2026 season. That is about Rs 708.9 crore. Costs are kept in check by the auction salary caps. This helps teams keep healthy profit margins. Some are above 30%. That makes IPL teams some of the most attractive sports assets in the world.
FAQs
Q. Will Hardik Pandya play under Rohit Sharma if no trade happens?
A. Hardik Pandya has reportedly agreed to stay and play under Rohit.
Q. How many IPL titles has Rohit Sharma won as captain?
A. Rohit has won five IPL titles as captain.
Q. Who is Mumbai Indians’ new head coach?
A. Kieron Pollard has been appointed head coach.
Q. Which IPL team has the highest valuation?
A. Mumbai Indians lead the rankings at $2.1 billion.
Q. What is the average valuation of an IPL team?
A. The average IPL team is valued at $1.7 billion.
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