Mumbai Indians are all but set to have a third captain leading the side in the ongoing IPL 2026 season. With regular captain Hardik Pandya out injured and stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav unable to travel to Dharamsala for the upcoming match against Punjab Kings, the team will have a new leader at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium.
According to a report in Cricbuzz, Jasprit Bumrah is, in all likelihood, set to take over the leadership role for the match, although Mumbai Indians do have another option in Tilak Varma, who was recently named India A captain for an upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka. Not to forget, they also have former India captain Rohit Sharma, who led Mumbai to five IPL titles, but it is unlikely they will explore that option.
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The 33-year-old fast bowler is, hence, the frontrunner to lead Mumbai against Punjab Kings. Bumrah has previously led India and was also among the key candidates considered for India’s Test captaincy before reportedly opting out. He is also one of the most experienced players in the Mumbai dressing room, having featured in 156 matches across 13 seasons.
The report also highlighted that tickets for Hardik and Suryakumar had been booked for travel to Dharamsala, but neither has been in the city over the past two days. Suryakumar has recently been blessed with a baby girl and may have been granted leave by the franchise, especially with Mumbai already out of contention for a playoff berth.
Pandya, meanwhile, is recovering from a back injury and did not feature in Mumbai’s last two matches. He was, however, seen practising late into the night at Reliance Corporate Park, but the report suggests the medical team is still assessing him and has yet to give full clearance.
Mumbai were among the first teams to get eliminated from the race to the playoffs. A loss to defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 10 sealed their fate. It was their eighth defeat this season, where they managed just three wins and currently stand in the ninth place in the table.
Punjab, on the ither hand, will be aiming to make the most of Mumbai’s vulnerability to finally make their push to qualify for the playoffs after stuttering to four consecutive losses that saw them drop from the top spot in the table to the fourth place.