Sanjay Manjrekar, a former Indian cricket team batter, has called for the Mumbai Indians (MI) to consider replacing Hardik Pandya as captain with Jasprit Bumrah following a disappointing IPL 2026 season. The five-time champions were eliminated from playoff contention after a last-ball defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, managing only three wins throughout the tournament. Manjrekar criticized Pandya's leadership, arguing that MI needs a fresh perspective and suggested Bumrah, known for his strategic understanding of the game, would be an ideal choice. He expressed disappointment that Bumrah has not shown interest in captaincy roles, particularly in international cricket. Additionally, Manjrekar noted that MI missed an opportunity by not signing Ashish Nehra, who previously collaborated successfully with Pandya at Gujarat Titans. He believes that Bumrah's captaincy would be less demanding compared to Test captaincy, allowing him to focus on leading MI effectively.