Why Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya didn’t play for Mumbai Indians on Jasprit Bumrah’s IPL captaincy debut

Jasprit Bumrah’s elevation came solely because of the absence of both Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav for the match against Punjab

Updated on: May 14, 2026, 23:32:33 IST

Written by Aratrick Mondal

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Mumbai Indians will be without both regular captain Hardik Pandya and stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav for Thursday’s IPL 2026 clash against Punjab Kings, with fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah set to lead the five-time champions at the picturesque HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. Mumbai Indians confirmed the development just half an hour before the toss through an Instagram post.

Mumbai Indians' captain Hardik Pandya, left, and Suryakumar Yadav during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 T20 cricket match (PTI)

“A kid with a unique action bowled yorkers at will. That same kid, now a legend of the game, will lead the Blue & Gold in Dharamsala. A journey to be proud of, Captain Jasprit!” Mumbai Indians wrote on social media as Bumrah was handed the role ahead of Tilak Varma, who was named India A captain on Thursday for an upcoming tri-series, and five-time IPL-winning skipper Rohit Sharma, who has largely featured as an Impact Player in recent games.

PBKS vs MI LIVE Score, IPL 2026

Bumrah’s elevation came solely because of the absence of both Hardik and Suryakumar for the match against Punjab. The all-rounder has been sidelined with an injury and had already missed Mumbai’s previous two matches, prompting Suryakumar to take over captaincy duties. However, the India T20I captain reportedly did not travel to Dharamsala either, missing the game due to “personal reasons”, as Bumrah confirmed at the toss.

Hardik suffered back spasms during the match against Chennai Super Kings in Chennai on May 2 and subsequently missed the games in Mumbai and Raipur. He was seen training late into the night at Reliance Corporate Park, but a Cricbuzz report suggested that he is yet to receive full clearance from the medical team monitoring his recovery.

As for Suryakumar, reports indicated that Mumbai may have granted him a short break after the birth of his baby girl last week, especially with MI already out of contention for a playoff spot.

Bumrah, leading Mumbai for the first time, won the toss and opted to bowl against Punjab.

“We saw a little bit of the last game and felt that with the cold weather coming in, maybe the wicket will settle down a bit and the ball will come on better in the second innings,” he said.

Teams:

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Ryan Rickelton(w), Naman Dhir, Tilak Varma, Sherfane Rutherford, Will Jacks, Raj Bawa, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah(c), Raghu Sharma

Punjab Kings (Playing XI): Priyansh Arya, Prabhsimran Singh(w), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer(c), Suryansh Shedge, Shashank Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aratrick Mondal
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More

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