Jasprit Bumrah captains Mumbai Indians for the first time in IPL 2026

Jasprit Bumrah (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

NEW DELHI: Star pacer Jasprit Bumrah was handed the Mumbai Indians captaincy in the absence of both regular skipper Hardik Pandya and stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav during their IPL 2026 clash against Punjab Kings. It was the first time Bumrah led the Mumbai Indians side, a franchise he has represented for more than a decade. Bumrah’s maiden outing as Mumbai Indians skipper turned out to be a memorable one as he guided the side to a six-wicket victory over Punjab Kings. In a video posted by Mumbai Indians on social media, Bumrah was heard saying, "Nayak Dekha Hai? Ek Din ka Mukhya Mantri [Have you watched Nayak? CM For A Day]" Bumrah, who captained Mumbai Indians in the absence of both Pandya and vice-captain Suryakumar, was drawing a parallel with the Bollywood film Nayak: The Real Hero, in which star actor Anil Kapoor becomes Chief Minister for a day. The reference comes from the 2001 film, which follows Shivaji Rao, a television cameraman who unexpectedly becomes the Chief Minister of a state for one day after challenging a corrupt politician during an interview. During his brief stint in power, he takes bold decisions against corruption and wins public support. Since making his debut for Mumbai Indians in 2013, Bumrah has been an integral part of the franchise. Over the years, he has played 157 matches for MI and picked up 186 wickets. Was Bumrah leading a side for the first time? This was not the first time Bumrah had captained a team. He has previously led India in both Tests and T20Is. His leadership experience includes captaining India in two Tests during the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia and the rescheduled Birmingham Test against England in 2022. Bumrah has also captained India in two T20Is, with the team winning both matches under his leadership. After Mumbai Indians - already out of the IPL 2026 playoff race - secured the win, Bumrah was asked about his experience of leading the side during the post-match presentation. "Yeah, first game, like I said, I've captained a Test match. I've captained T20Is. Now the only game that is left is ODI cricket. But I don't see that happening (laughs), but jokes apart. Really happy. I had good fun, good weather, great ground. So enjoyed my time," Bumrah said.