India, May 21 -- The Mumbai Indians' season in the IPL 2026 ended much earlier. They were among the first teams to be eliminated from the race to the playoffs. And after all the scrutiny that has surrounded the franchise this season - like their star players not being in form, the players not functioning in unison and of course, Hardik Pandya's captaincy, which has faced the brunt of the criticism - finally the discussions around Mumbai have shifted to who they could retain or release. Former England captain Michael Vaughan made a shock proposal to the Mumbai Indians, which could, in turn, benefit the Kolkata Knight Riders as well.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Vaughan did not spare a second thought when asked about Hardik. "Release," he said. B...