IPL 2026: Who will be the new MI captain? Sanjay Manjrekar reveals

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes that, following the 5-time  champions, the Mumbai Indians' dismal season, the time has come for the management to make some major decisions, and the team must look for a new captain. The Mumbai Indians managed to win only 3 of their first 11 matches and have been officially eliminated from the race for the playoffs. Under Hardik Pandya's captaincy, MI played a total of 8 matches, securing a victory in only the very first game. Meanwhile, in his absence, Suryakumar Yadav has been fulfilling the role of acting captain.

Along with advocating for a change in leadership, Manjrekar also suggested a name for the new captain. He stated that this responsibility should be entrusted to senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Backing Bumrah's cricketing intelligence, he asserted that the pacer could take over the team's command in place of Hardik Pandya.

“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,” Manjrekar said. 

Furthermore, Manjrekar went on to suggest that the Mumbai Indians should also look to acquire Ashish Nehra from the Gujarat Titans. He highlighted the success achieved by the Gujarat Titans, attributing it to the partnership between Hardik and Nehra. 

“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 added. 

He added that Jasprit Bumrah has already led India's Test team—a task that is inherently very challenging. Given this experience, Bumrah should not feel under any undue pressure while taking charge of the Mumbai Indians.

“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. 

The Mumbai Indians have already knocked-out from the IPL 2026 playoff race. They will still have to play 3 more games in the tournament. They will face the Punjab Kings on May 14, the Kolkata Knight Riders on May 20, and the Rajasthan Royals on May 24. They want to win all their remaining games and finish their season on a winning note.