Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar There have been calls for a major leadership change from the Mumbai Indians management after the franchise's disappointing campaign in the ongoing IPL 2026. After MI were eliminated from the playoff race after a heart-breaking last-ball defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore, Manjrekar suggested that star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah should replace Hardik Pandya as captain.
The five-time champions endured a tough season, managing to win only three matches so far, with Hardik's captaincy coming under heavy scrutiny. Now, former Mumbai batsman Manjrekar praised Bumrah's cricketing intelligence and backed him as a potential leader for both the franchise and the country.
He said in the conversation, “I want to see Bumrah captaining 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 action, it is also about reading the batsman, understanding the situation and understanding the pitches. I am just a bit disappointed that he is not interested in being the captain in England. He did not captain when Shubman Gill was made the captain. But hopefully he will. At least he should get that opportunity in the Indian Premier League.” With Sportstar.
Manjrekar further said that when MI acquired the all-rounder from Gujarat Titans, they should have tried to bring Ashish Nehra along with Hardik. Hardik and Nehra had previously achieved tremendous success together and led Gujarat to the IPL title during their tenure at the franchise.
“You really understood what I was hinting at, because I think they have to look beyond Hardik Pandya. Yeah, because that move definitely hasn't worked out. It's not fair to Hardik either. It's like a package deal. You know, if Hardik was going to come to Mumbai, he should have brought Ashish Nehra with him as well. But Ashish won't be with him,” he added.
Manjrekar also believes that leading an IPL team will not bring as much pressure boomrah Than handling the responsibilities of India's Test captaincy.
He concluded, “I really want Bumrah to be given a chance because it's not as much of a burden on him as being a Test captain, where he has to be fit and ready for every Test match.”
In the current season, Suryakumar Yadav has led the Mumbai-based franchise in the absence of their regular captain Hardik Pandya.
Get every cricket update! Follow us: :
Leave a Reply