Mumbai Indians found success under their new stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah, as the franchise handed Punjab Kings their fifth consecutive defeat of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season on Thursday. The result didn’t just make playoff qualification a complicated affair for the Shreyas Iyer-led side, but also gave Mumbai a glimpse into the future, where Bumrah could be seen leading the team. With Hardik Pandya nursing a back injury and Suryakumar Yadav out due to personal reasons, Bumrah was given the team’s leadership responsibility. While the marquee pacer was elated to have helped his team secure a victory on the day, he did have a few jokes up his sleeve regarding the captaincy situation.
Bumrah, who has led Team India in Test cricket in the past, had said during the toss that he didn’t expect to have led the national team in the longest format before captaining his IPL side, Mumbai. After the game, he said that Tests and T20s are done; now the only thing left, as far as his captaincy ambitions are concerned is ODI cricket, but he doesn’t think that is going to happen.
Bumrah felt pleased with the team’s overall performance and execution of plans on a slightly dryer pitch where bowling a consistent length proved crucial. He praised the bowlers for maintaining composure and highlighted the impact of Varma’s match-winning knock, along with the support from Will Jacks and the bowling efforts of Shardul Thakur, noting that all contributions were equally important.
“Yeah, one from one (smiles). Both teams played good cricket, and we really pulled back well. A little bit, but the wicket in this game looked a little bit drier than the previous one. Maybe it wasn’t as cold as it was in the last game. Whatever we saw in the previous game and reading this game, holding your length was key. That was the plan, and credit to all bowlers, and they kept their nerve as well. I think Tilak’s knock and the way Shardul kept his shape, I have captained T20s, but I don’t see that happening. Had good fun, great ground, so enjoyed my time.
Bumrah made his IPL captaincy debut for the Mumbai Indians on Thursday. Full-time skipper Hardik Pandya is recovering from a back spasm injury, and stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav was missing from the clash due to personal reasons.
A blistering half-century from Tilak Varma and an explosive knock from Ryan Rickelton powered the Mumbai Indians to a six-wicket victory over the Punjab Kings. The defeat marked Punjab Kings’ fifth straight loss, leaving them stranded on 13 points, with Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals closing in on them in the playoff race.
Varma anchored the chase with composure, forging a crucial stand with Will Jacks. He struck a scintillating 75 off 33 balls, while Jacks provided explosive support with 25 off just 10 deliveries.
With ANI Inputs
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