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Mumbai Indians may have already been out of the race for the IPL 2026 playoffs, but the tension and discussions regarding the team are increasing day by day. After a disappointing season for MI, questions are being raised about captaincy, team balance and especially the future of Hardik Pandya.
But amidst all this drama, Jasprit Bumrah led Mumbai Indians to a thrilling six-wicket win against Punjab Kings in a high-scoring IPL 2026 encounter in Dharamshala on May 14.
Jasprit Bumrah makes dream MI captaincy debut in IPL 2026
Before the match, Bumrah made an interesting statement at the toss, he said that he had never imagined becoming India’s Test captain before getting the chance to captain Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Notably, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya were unavailable due to fitness issues, and Bumrah was handed the task of leading the team against PBKS.
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That comment sparked fresh discussion among fans as many always felt that Bumrah should have succeeded Rohit Sharma as MI captain, but Hardik Pandya was preferred after leading Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in 2022 and then the final in the 2023 season.
Bumrah has been with Mumbai Indians since a very young age. He joined the franchise as a teenager and gradually became one of the biggest match-winners in world cricket. And now Bumrah has finally got his chance and a better start could not have been expected from the Indian fast bowler.
Hardik Pandya likely to return for KKR vs MI match
Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya, who missed five consecutive matches this season due to back spasms, is likely to return for MI’s upcoming IPL 2026 match against Kolkata Knight Riders on May 20 at the Eden Gardens. RevSportz shared that Hardik has now recovered from his back injury.
There are many rumors circulating on social media which claim that due to the poor performance of the team under Hardik’s captaincy, Mumbai Indians may release or trade Hardik after IPL 2026. But the same report suggests that the franchise has no plans to let go of the Indian all-rounder as of now.
Also read: After India’s victory in T20 World Cup 2026, Ishan Kishan got great recognition from Bihar government.
Mumbai Indians to review IPL 2026 disaster
In fact, the MI team management still wants Hardik to remain the captain till the end of the season. It is also being said that it is expected that Mumbai Indians will conduct a full review after the end of IPL 2026 to understand where things went wrong this year.
The franchise had entered the season with great expectations, but inconsistent performances with both bat and ball badly affected their campaign. Head coach Mahela Jayawardene had already admitted that the team failed to maintain consistency in crucial moments of the matches and it cost them heavily throughout the tournament.
Even though MI are no longer in the race for the IPL 2026 playoffs, they are still causing big problems for other teams fighting for qualification. Their recent win over Punjab Kings has already completely changed the playoff equation. That defeat has now put PBKS under immense pressure and also kept Chennai Super Kings alive in the playoff race.