Mumbai Indians (MI) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) are locking horns in a much-anticipated IPL 2026 match at the magnificent Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamshala, on Thursday.
In a significant development, veteran Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah came in for the toss in the PBKS vs MI IPL 2026 match. It is worth noting that, along with Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav’s ouster from the match was confirmed for the game.
The Mumbai Indians are one of the successful and celebrated franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Winning joint-most IPL titles, 5 (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020), the team has been known for its innovation, legendary scouting over the years, and an unbreakable spirit.
It is safe to say that the major reason behind their success on the field is a result of a list of marvellous leaders who have provided their astute leadership since the very first IPL season.
That being said, in this article, take a look at an elaborate list of captains who have led Mumbai Indians over the years.
In 2024, after a magnificent two-year stint with Gujarat Titans (GT) as a captain, Hardik Pandya replaced MI’s most celebrated leader, Rohit Sharma. The MI put an end to speculation about their leadership by announcing all-rounder Hardik Pandya as their captain for the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League.
Since then, Hardik Pandya has been leading MI and is also the captain of the team in the IPL 2026.
However, Pandya’s back-to-back ouster in the ongoing season has brought opportunities to the star batter Suryakumar Yadav and proven match-winner Jasprit Bumrah to lead the side.
Who is the most successful MI captain?
Rohit Sharma, also known as ‘Mumbaicha Raja’, took over as MI captain from Ricky Ponting midway through IPL 2013. The team had yet to win an IPL trophy at the time and wasn't particularly high in the pecking order of title contenders.
A young Rohit Sharma ended up leading them to the title that season, beating a high-profile Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2013 final.
In 2024, he left the MI captaincy, after a ten year stints form 2013 to 2023, as the second-highest run scorer in IPL history with 7289*, out of which 3986 runs have come as captain of MI - across 157 innings at 129.37 SR with 25 fifties.
Rohit's tally is the third-highest among IPL captains after Virat Kohli's 4994 runs and MS Dhoni's 4660. However, his legacy as MI's captain will probably set him apart the most in the IPL. Let's take a look at the five titles that MI won under his leadership.
Who was the first captain of Mumbai Indians?
In the first edition of IPL, legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was named the captain of MI. However, Tendulkar was injured before the start of the 2008 season, due to which Harbhajan Singh took over as the captain in the initial stage of the season.
‘God of cricket’ Sachin led the team from 2008 to 2011, serving as both captain and the iconic face of the franchise during its initial years.
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MI Captains over the years (Source: AFP)
