NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians entered the IPL record books for an unwanted reason in the 2026 season, becoming just the second team in tournament history to use three different captains in three successive matches.The five-time champions endured a difficult campaign plagued by injuries, inconsistent results and repeated leadership changes. Over a span of three matches, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya all took charge of the side. Before Mumbai Indians, the only franchise to witness a similar captaincy shuffle was Pune Warriors India in 2013, when leadership responsibilities were shared by Ross Taylor, Angelo Mathews and Aaron Finch.Mumbai’s leadership changes began after regular skipper Pandya was ruled out with a back spasm. He first missed MI’s home fixture against Lucknow Super Giants on May 4 and was also unavailable for the clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur, despite travelling with the squad. During his absence, Suryakumar stepped in as captain.Pandya also skipped the trip to Dharamsala for MI’s six-wicket victory over Punjab Kings. With Suryakumar away following the birth of his child, Bumrah became Mumbai Indians’ third captain of the season.The all-rounder eventually returned to reclaim leadership duties in the match against Kolkata Knight Riders.Overall, it has been a forgettable season for Mumbai Indians, who crashed out of the playoff race after winning only four of their 12 league games.They began their campaign on a positive note with a six-wicket victory over KKR, but failed to sustain the momentum. Losses against Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings pushed them onto the back foot early in the tournament.A dominant win over Gujarat Titans briefly revived hopes, but MI once again lost their way with three consecutive defeats against Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings again.Victories later in the season against Lucknow Super Giants and Punjab Kings came too late, with Mumbai already left with too much ground to recover in the playoff race.
