Not Suryakumar Yadav! Tilak Varma Gets New Competitor In MI Captaincy Race For IPL

Tilak Varma gets a new competitor in MI captaincy race [Source: AFP]

Mumbai Indians will reportedly undergo a major overhaul in their leadership group following a disastrous IPL 2026 campaign. Led by Hardik Pandya, MI managed only four wins across 14 group-stage matches, failing to qualify for the playoff stage of the tournament. 

Earlier, reports suggested that Tilak Varma was the frontrunner to lead Mumbai Indians, provided the five-time champions parted ways with Hardik Pandya ahead of IPL 2027. 

While Pandya's trade talk has been a major talking point for quite a while now, a star player other than Suryakumar Yadav has joined Tilak Varma in the MI captaincy race amid the speculations. 

Jasprit Bumrah becomes Tilak Varma's competitor for MI's IPL captaincy

According to TOI, veteran speedster Jasprit Bumrah has become a frontrunner alongside Tilak Varma to lead Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2027. The report suggests that if Hardik Pandya's IPL trade rumours materialise, Bumrah could emerge as a strong candidate to be his long-term successor. 

Tilak, who has never led MI in the IPL, has been a consistent run-scorer for the franchise over the years. Given that Suryakumar Yadav has struggled to get going recently, the Mumbai franchise wants to utilise Tilak's batting expertise to bolster its middle order in the IPL. 

The MI think tank believes that Tilak Varma's appointment as the captain of the team might add additional responsibility to his young shoulders and prevent him from playing his natural game in the IPL. 

In such a scenario, Jasprit Bumrah's name has been actively floating as the potential captain, with the five-time champions prioritising a long-term successor rather than a make-shift option like Suryakumar Yadav. 

What is Jasprit Bumrah's record as MI captain?

Jasprit Bumrah has captained Mumbai Indians only once in the IPL. His maiden appearance as the skipper came during the 2026 season, as he led the team to a thumping six-wicket victory over the Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings. 

Bowling first, MI restricted PBKS to 200 for 8 before chasing down the target successfully in 19.1 overs. Interestingly, Tilak Varma played a match-winning knock of 75 runs, helping Jasprit Bumrah script a win on his maiden outing as the MI captain. 

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Another former Indian captain in IPL trade talks

The report added that apart from Hardik Pandya, another former Indian captain has become the centre of attraction as far as the IPL trade is concerned. Although the report didn't disclose the player's name, he's believed to be Suryakumar Yadav due to two key reasons. 

Firstly, the other former captain in the MI squad, Rohit Sharma, looked sublime in limited outings for the team in the IPL 2026. As Rohit has led the franchise to five IPL titles and remains the face of the franchise, it could be Suryakumar Yadav whom other teams have shown interest in. Nevertheless, the discussion is said to be in its initial stage. 

MI to conduct post-season review in London

The TOI report also revealed that MI's decision-makers will sit together in London to address the team's lacklustre IPL 2026 season. The performance of the players as well as the support staff will be reviewed, while a final decision is also expected to be taken on Hardik Pandya's rumoured trade to another franchise for the IPL 2027. 

Mahela Jayawardene might also face the heat, given his tenure has not brought the glory days back for the five-time champions, with the IPL title being elusive to them for six consecutive seasons. 

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