Jasprit Bumrah captaining Mumbai Indians for one match was enough to restart a serious conversation around the franchise’s future leadership. Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has now openly suggested that MI may need to start looking beyond Hardik Pandya and gradually move towards a “Project Bumrah” phase.
Bumrah led Mumbai Indians during their six-wicket win over Punjab Kings after Hardik Pandya missed the game due to back spasms, while vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav was also unavailable because of personal reasons.
Speaking on the Sportstar Podcast, Manjrekar admitted that he wants to see Bumrah captain Mumbai Indians more often because of the way he understands the game tactically.
“I’d like to see Jasprit Bumrah captain more because I don’t think anyone reads the game as well as he does,” Manjrekar said.
“What he does with the ball is not just about his action or his skills. It’s also about anticipation, reading batters, understanding situations, and assessing pitches.”
Manjrekar also felt Mumbai Indians may now need to start thinking beyond their current leadership structure under Hardik Pandya.
“I think they might have to look beyond Hardik Pandya,” Manjrekar said.
“I’d really like to see Bumrah being given a short-term opportunity because that’s not as much of a burden on him as being India’s Test captain. I just hope the Mumbai Indians consider Bumrah as captain for the foreseeable future.”
Bumrah looked extremely comfortable during his brief captaincy stint against Punjab. While he himself went wicketless, Mumbai’s bowling unit operated with far more control during the middle overs as Shardul Thakur picked up four wickets to break the game open.
Tilak Varma eventually finished the chase in the final over as massive celebrations erupted in the Mumbai dugout, with Rohit Sharma leading the reactions from the dressing room balcony.
The discussion around Bumrah’s leadership has remained alive for a while now. He has already captained India in Test cricket previously and also led a young Indian T20 side to a series win against Ireland in 2023.
Following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket earlier this year, Bumrah was considered one of the leading candidates for India’s captaincy role before he eventually pulled himself out of contention because of workload management concerns. India later appointed Shubman Gill as captain for the England Test series.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM BETWEEN HARDIK PANDYA AND MI?
Hardik Pandya’s second stint at Mumbai Indians has never fully settled down.
The all-rounder returned from Gujarat Titans ahead of IPL 2024 as the franchise’s long-term leadership project after Rohit Sharma. But results and overall stability under him have remained inconsistent.
Mumbai suffered an early exit in 2024, and although they managed a playoff appearance in one of the following seasons, the team has struggled to recreate the dominance associated with the franchise during the Rohit era.
The captaincy transition itself also created massive backlash among sections of MI fans, something that has continued to follow Hardik ever since.
Fresh speculation around his future emerged again after Hardik unfollowed Mumbai Indians on Instagram following their loss to RCB earlier this season. While there has been no official indication of any fallout, social media discussions around a possible exit have continued growing louder.
Hardik has also missed Mumbai’s last two matches due to back spasms and did not travel to Dharamsala for the Punjab Kings clash despite training separately before the game.
COULD BUMRAH BECOME NEW MI CAPTAIN?
For now, there is no indication that Mumbai Indians are planning an immediate captaincy change.
Hardik remains one of the biggest all-rounders in world cricket and continues to be viewed as a central figure within the franchise setup.
But Bumrah’s calm leadership against Punjab once again reminded many why he is considered one of the sharpest cricketing minds in Indian cricket.
Unlike many aggressive captains, Bumrah operates with a calmness that mirrors his bowling. He constantly adjusts fields, reads batters quickly and rarely appears rushed during pressure situations.
The biggest concern around Bumrah becoming a long-term captain remains workload management. The pacer himself admitted earlier this year that leading India in Tests full-time would make it difficult for him to manage his body across formats.
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