Jasprit Bumrah (IPL Photo)
NEW DELHI: Jasprit Bumrah finally led the Indians for the first time in Mumbai on Thursday and his first reaction captured how unexpected the moment was.“I didn’t think I would be a Test captain before I captained Mumbai Indians,” Bumrah said with a smile at the toss ahead of MI’s IPL 2026 clash against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala.The fast bowler stepped in as captain with regular skipper Hardik Pandya unavailable due to back spasms, while stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav missed the match due to personal reasons.Long wait before the first captainBumrah’s captaincy debut came after 156 IPL matches for MI, making him the second most experienced player to lead an IPL side for the first time.Only Ravindra Jadeja waited longer and took the lead only after 200 matches. Bumrah moved ahead of Manish Pandey (153), Axar Patel (148), Kieron Pollard (137) and even teammate Suryakumar (126).He also became the 10th player to captain Mumbai Indians in franchise history, adding another chapter to a season that was already full of unusual changes for the five-time champions.
Most matches in the IPL before leading the side
- 200 – Ravindra Jadeja
- 156 – Jasprit Bumrah
- 153 – Manish Pandey
- 148 – Axar Patel
- 137 – Kieron Pollard
- 126 – Suryakumar Yadav
Bumrah’s message despite MI’s tough seasonWith MI struggling at the bottom of the points table with just three wins from 11 matches, Bumrah said the team still wants to embrace the final stretch rather than writing off the season.“When cricket gives you good days, you take it. When it gives you challenges, it has come to teach you something,” he said.He added that the side were determined to enjoy their remaining three games and “blow off a few teams” before the end of the campaign.“I like the responsibility. It’s a new challenge. I’ll try to have fun,” Bumrah said.That summed up the occasion. After more than a decade with MI and 156 games in blue, one of the franchise’s greatest bowlers finally had the captain’s armband.
