Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar believes Jasprit Bumrah should lead Mumbai Indians after the franchise’s disappointing IPL 2026 season under Hardik Pandya.
Sanjay Manjrekar has called for a significant leadership change at Mumbai Indians following the team’s poor IPL 2026 campaign. After Mumbai Indians were knocked out of the playoff race following a dramatic last-ball defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Manjrekar suggested that premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah should take over captaincy duties from Hardik Pandya.
Mumbai Indians, one of the most successful franchises in IPL history with five titles, endured a difficult season and managed to secure only three wins, with Hardik’s leadership attracting criticism throughout the campaign.
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Manjrekar Backs Jasprit Bumrah For Leadership Role
Speaking about Bumrah’s tactical understanding of the game, Manjrekar strongly backed the pace spearhead as a future captain for both Mumbai Indians and India.
“I’d like to see Bumrah captain India, because I don’t think anyone sees the game as well as he does. What he does with his bowling is not just about the action, it’s also about anticipation, reading the batter, reading the situation and understanding pitches. I’m just a little disappointed that he doesn’t seem interested in being captain in England. He didn’t captain when Shubman Gill was made captain. But hopefully, at least in the Indian Premier League, he should get that shot,” he said in conversation with Sportstar.
Manjrekar highlighted Bumrah’s ability to read match situations and analyse batters, suggesting that those qualities make him an ideal candidate to lead a franchise.
Ashish Nehra Mentioned In Hardik Pandya Discussion
The former India batter also stated that Mumbai Indians should have attempted to bring in Ashish Nehra along with Hardik Pandya when the all-rounder returned from Gujarat Titans.
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Hardik and Nehra had formed a successful partnership during Gujarat Titans’ title-winning campaign, and Manjrekar believes the duo worked effectively together.
“You actually caught what I was hinting at, because I think they might have to look beyond Hardik Pandya. Yeah, because that move certainly hasn’t worked. It’s not fair to Hardik as well. It’s like a package deal. You know, if Hardik was going to come to Mumbai, then they should have got Ashish Nehra as well with him. But Ashish won’t be with him,” he continued.
Mumbai Indians’ campaign has seen inconsistency in both batting and bowling departments, with pressure mounting on the management after an early elimination from playoff contention.
Bumrah’s Workload Less Of A Concern In IPL Captaincy
Manjrekar further explained that captaining an IPL franchise would not burden Bumrah physically as much as handling India’s Test captaincy responsibilities.
“I’d really like to see Bumrah being given a shot because that is not as much of a burden on him as being a Test captain, where he has to stay fit and ready for every Test match,” he concluded.
In Hardik Pandya’s absence during parts of the ongoing season, Suryakumar Yadav has led Mumbai Indians on the field.
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