PBKS vs MI: Will Rohit Sharma lead Mumbai in Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav’s absence?

Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma

Mumbai Indians could have a third captain leading the side in IPL 2026 when they face Punjab Kings at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday.Regular captain Hardik Pandya is currently injured, while stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav has not traveled to Dharamsala for the match, as TimesofIndia.com reported.That leaves Mumbai Indians with a few leadership options. One of them is Tilak Varma, who was named India A captain on Thursday for the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka. The franchise also has former India captain Rohit Sharma, who led Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles between 2013 and 2023.However, according to a Cricbuzz report, Jasprit Bumrah is likely to captain Mumbai Indians against Punjab Kings.The 33-year-old pacer has captained India before and was also among the names considered for India’s Test captaincy before reportedly deciding against taking up the role full-time.Bumrah is also one of the most experienced players in the Mumbai Indians squad, having played 156 matches across 13 IPL seasons.Although he has played 156 matches for Mumbai Indians, Bumrah has never captained the franchise before. He has, however, led India in two Border-Gavaskar Trophy Tests in Australia during the 2024-25 series and also captained the side in the Test against England at Birmingham in 2022.If Bumrah leads the side, he will become the 10th player to captain Mumbai Indians in IPL history.List of All Mumbai Indians Captains:

Rohit Sharma remains Mumbai’s longest-serving captain, having led the franchise in 163 matches between 2013 and 2023. Sachin Tendulkar is second on the list after leading the side in 55 matches from 2008 to 2011.Mumbai Indians were the second team to be knocked out of the playoff race this season. Their defeat against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru on May 10 confirmed their elimination. Mumbai have won only three matches and lost eight so far, leaving them ninth on the points table.Punjab Kings, meanwhile, will look to take advantage of Mumbai’s situation as they try to return to winning ways after four straight defeats. Punjab slipped from the top of the table to fourth place during that run.