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Mumbai Indians may already be out of the IPL 2026 playoff race, but the tension and discussions around the team are only increasing day by day. Questions are being raised about captaincy, team balance, and especially the future of Hardik Pandya after a disappointing season for MI.
But in the middle of all this drama, Jasprit Bumrah led the Mumbai Indians to a thrilling six-wicket win against the Punjab Kings in a high-scoring IPL 2026 clash 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, saying he 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 not available because of fitness issues, and Bumrah was handed the job to lead the side against the PBKS.
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That comment started fresh discussions among fans because many people have always felt Bumrah should have become Rohit Sharma’s successor as MI captain, but Hardik Pandya was preferred after he led Gujarat Titans to an IPL title in 2022 and then the finals in the 2023 season.
Bumrah has been with Mumbai Indians since a very young age. He joined the franchise as a teenager and slowly became one of the biggest match-winners in world cricket. And now Bumrah has finally gotten the chance, and the Indian pacer could not have asked for a better start.
Hardik Pandya likely to return for KKR vs MI match
Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya, who missed five straight matches this season because of back spasms, is likely to return for MI’s upcoming IPL 2026 match against Kolkata Knight Riders on May 20 at Eden Gardens. The Revsportz shared that Hardik has now recovered from his back injury.
There have been several rumors on social media claiming Mumbai Indians could release or trade Hardik after IPL 2026 because of the team’s poor performances under his captaincy. But the same report suggests that the franchise has no plans right now to let the Indian all-rounder go.
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Mumbai Indians to Review IPL 2026 disaster
In fact, the MI team management still wants Hardik to continue as captain till the end of the season. It is also being said that Mumbai Indians are expected to do a full review after IPL 2026 ends to understand where things went wrong this year.
The franchise had entered the season with huge expectations, but inconsistent performances with both bat and ball badly hurt their campaign. Head coach Mahela Jayawardene had already admitted that the team failed to stay consistent during important moments of matches, and that cost them heavily throughout the tournament.
Even though MI is no longer in the IPL 2026 playoff race, they are still creating major problems for other teams fighting for qualification. Their recent win over Punjab Kings has already changed the playoff equation completely. That defeat has now put PBKS under massive pressure and also kept Chennai Super Kings alive in the playoff race.
