Bumrah is at the helm of MI in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 match against the Punjab Kings at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium (HPCA) in Dharamshala due to the unavailability of Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav.
“Yeah, it feels good. I came here as a 19-year-old. I didn’t think I would be a Test captain before leading Mumbai Indians. But this is an enjoyable environment. You care for everyone and aim to contribute in every way possible. I embrace responsibility. This is a new challenge, and I plan to enjoy it,” Bumrah mentioned at the toss, where MI won and elected to field first.
While Hardik is dealing with a back spasm, Suryakumar is at home in Mumbai with his wife Devisha following the birth of their first child last week.
Bumrah has captained the Indian Test team on two prior occasions.
He was in charge during the first and last matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy held in 2025-26.
The Men in Blue secured victory in the opening game in Perth but faced a significant defeat in Sydney, with Bumrah leaving the field due to an injury on the final day of that challenging Test series.
As Rohit Sharma stepped away from Test cricket last year, Bumrah was seen as the leading candidate to take over as Test captain.
However, fitness concerns led to advice against his participation in more than three matches of the five-match Test series against England.
Consequently, the selectors opted not to implement a temporary solution and appointed Shubman Gill as the permanent Test captain.
First Published: May 14, 2026 7:51 PM IST
