New Delhi: Mumbai Indians The 2026 season entered the IPL record books for an unlikely reason, becoming only the second team in the history of the tournament to use three different captains in three consecutive matches.The five-time champions endured a difficult campaign plagued by injuries, inconsistent results and frequent leadership changes. Over the course of three matches, Surya Kumar Yadav, Jaspreet Bumrah And Hardik Pandya Everyone took charge of the side. Before Mumbai Indians, the only franchise to witness a similar change of captaincy was Pune Warriors India in 2013, when the leadership duties were shared by Ross Taylor, Angelo Mathews and Aaron Finch.Mumbai’s leadership changes began when regular skipper Pandya was ruled out with a back problem. He first missed MI’s home fixture against Lucknow Supergiants on 4 May and was also unavailable for the clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur despite traveling with the squad. Surya Kumar stepped in as captain during his absence.Pandya also skipped the trip to Dharamsala for MI’s six-wicket win against Punjab Kings. Bumrah became Mumbai Indians’ third captain of the season after Surya Kumar stepped down after the birth of his child.The all-rounder eventually returned to resume leadership duties in the match against Kolkata Knight Riders.Overall, it has been a forgettable season for Mumbai Indians, who were knocked out of the playoff race after winning just four of their 12 league games.They started 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 put them on 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.Late-season victories against Lucknow Supergiants and Punjab Kings came too late, leaving Mumbai already with a lot of ground to climb back into the play-off race.
