Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has admitted that his ultimate goal is to win the IPL title with the Mumbai Indians. The all-rounder returned to the franchise in 2024 after two years away but has since failed to lift MI to past glories.

Last season, MI reached the playoffs but were beaten by the Punjab Kings in the qualifier. MI will start as favourites to win the title, given their experience in the team and abundance of overseas talent.

Speaking before the start of the IPL, Hardik Pandya admitted that his goal is to win the IPL with the Mumbai Indians. The skipper wants to bring a winning culture to the team and build on the impressive legacy of the five-time champions.

"The ultimate dream is to win the IPL for the sixth time for the Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians already has such an amazing legacy, but I think I still remember when I came as a new boy, the passion, the hard work, the whole team supported me, I want that culture to be there where people come out, work hard, play the best kind of cricket. I really want us to represent the best cricket that the Mumbai Indians have ever played." Hardik Pandya said.

Like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya is a product of Mumbai's amazing scouting system, which has continuously found young talent and developed them into world-beaters who go on to rule international cricket.

Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard was full of praise about Pandya as well, stating his hard work is what separates him from others. Pollard recalled Hardik's initial years at MI as a young star and said that Pandya had the same work ethic that he has now.

"The bravery and youthful exuberance these players bring are remarkable. I think it all started when this individual (pointing at Pandya) came into our setup - larger than life, but someone who works incredibly hard and delivers on the field. That's what the next generation is seeing," Pollard said.

Mumbai Indians 2026 Squad:

Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Trent Boult, Quinton de Kock, Will Jacks, Mitchell Santner, Ryan Rickelton, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Sherfane Rutherford, Mayank Markande, Naman Dhir, Robin Minz, Corbin Bosch, AM Ghazanfar, Raj Angad Bawa, Ashwani Kumar, Raghu Sharma, Danish Malewar, Mohammad Izhar, Atharva Ankolekar, Mayank Rawat.