Jasprit Bumrah made a light-hearted captaincy admission after guiding Mumbai Indians to a six-wicket win against Punjab Kings in IPL 2026 on Thursday.
Leading the franchise for the first time, Bumrah helped Mumbai chase down 201 runs in Dharamsala. The stand-in skipper later joked that ODI captaincy may never come his way despite already leading India in Tests and T20Is.
“I have captained a Test match, I have captained T20s and now the only game left is ODI cricket, but I don’t see that happening,” Bumrah said during the post-match presentation.
Mumbai Indians completed the chase in 18.3 overs after Punjab Kings posted 200/5 in 20 overs. Tilak Varma starred with an unbeaten 75 off 33 balls, while Shardul Thakur picked up four wickets earlier in the match.
Jasprit Bumrah captaincy draws attention
The Jasprit Bumrah captaincy quickly gained attention among fans because the fast bowler has already led India in Test cricket and T20 internationals.
Bumrah became Mumbai Indians’ 10th captain in IPL history. He also ended a long wait to lead the franchise after playing more than 150 matches for the team.
Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav were unavailable for the match, which opened the door for Bumrah to take charge. Rohit Sharma continued as an impact substitute instead of returning as captain.
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Bumrah praises Tilak Varma and bowlers
Bumrah credited Tilak Varma and Shardul Thakur for Mumbai Indians’ victory in the high-scoring encounter.
He said Tilak maintained composure during pressure moments while Shardul delivered crucial breakthroughs with the ball.
The victory improved Mumbai Indians’ position in the IPL 2026 points table and kept their playoff hopes alive. Punjab Kings, meanwhile, suffered their fifth straight defeat of the season.
The Jasprit Bumrah captaincy also sparked discussions around his future leadership role in Indian cricket. However, workload management remains a major concern because of his history of back injuries.
