Former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth heaped praise on Jasprit Bumrah for his leadership after Mumbai Indians registered a thrilling six-wicket win over Punjab Kings in IPL 2026. Srikkanth also made a bold remark, saying Mumbai Indians appeared “more united” in the absence of regular captain Hardik Pandya.
Mumbai Indians may already be out of the IPL 2026 playoff race after a disappointing campaign, but the five-time champions produced one of their best performances of the season in Dharamsala. With Hardik ruled out due to a back spasm and Suryakumar Yadav unavailable for personal reasons, Bumrah was handed the captaincy and guided MI to an impressive victory.
Kris Srikkanth praises Jasprit Bumrah’s leadership
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth called Bumrah’s appointment as captain a “fantastic move” and credited him for bringing positive energy to the side.
“It is a good call. I think Bumrah coming in as captain is a fantastic move,” Srikkanth said.
The former India captain highlighted how young players stepped up under Bumrah’s leadership, praising the performances of Tilak Varma, Deepak Chahar, Raj Angad Bawa and Ryan Rickelton.
“Everyone was performing. Tilak Varma played brilliantly, Ryan Rickelton attacked early, and the bowlers showed great intent. The will to succeed and the energy were visible,” he added.
Bumrah’s calm approach impressed Srikkanth
Srikkanth further stated that Bumrah’s calm demeanour and constant encouragement gave confidence to the bowlers.
“And if you look at the bowling too, Bumrah was smiling continuously. He was giving confidence to the bowlers. His captaincy made a huge difference to players like Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur,” Srikkanth said.
Under Bumrah’s captaincy, Shardul Thakur starred with four wickets, while Deepak Chahar picked up two as Punjab Kings posted 200/8. Mumbai Indians successfully chased down the target in 19.5 overs, thanks to Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 75 off just 33 balls.
Hardik Pandya missed multiple IPL 2026 matches
Hardik Pandya has missed Mumbai Indians last few matches due to a back spasm. He first sat out MI’s clash against Lucknow Super Giants before also missing games against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings.
In Pandya’s absence, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah have both led the side this season. Despite rumours around Mumbai Indians potentially trading Hardik after a poor campaign, Shardul Thakur recently dismissed all such speculation.
