Mumbai Indians (MI) finally returned to winning ways in IPL 2026 with a thrilling six-wicket victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Dharamsala on Thursday. While Tilak Varma starred with a match-winning knock, Jasprit Bumrah also grabbed headlines after making a humorous statement about India’s ODI captaincy.
The Indian pace spearhead led the Mumbai Indians for the first time in his IPL career after regular skipper Hardik Pandya missed the game due to a back spasm, while Suryakumar Yadav was unavailable for personal reasons. Bumrah’s captaincy debut turned memorable as MI successfully chased down a 201-run target in the final over.
After the match, the pacer once again produced a hilarious response while speaking about leadership across formats. At the toss, Bumrah admitted that he never expected to captain India in Tests before leading the Mumbai Indians. He also reflected on his captaincy debut and expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance.
“I didn’t think that I would be a Test captain before becoming MI captain. I have captained a Test match, I have captained T20s, and now the only game left is ODI cricket, but I don’t see that happening. Both teams played good cricket, and we really pulled back well. I think Tilak’s knock and the way Shardul bowled both deserve equal credit. Tilak kept his shape, Jacks also contributed.” Bumrah said.
Tilak Varma powers MI to much-needed victory
Mumbai Indians chased down 201 in 19.5 overs, thanks largely to Tilak’s sensational unbeaten 75 off just 33 balls. Will Jacks also played a crucial finishing role with an unbeaten 25 off 10 deliveries. Earlier, Punjab Kings posted 200/8 after strong contributions from Prabhsimran Singh and the lower middle order. For MI, Shardul Thakur starred with the ball, finishing with figures of 4/39. The victory helped the Mumbai Indians end their losing streak, while Bumrah’s entertaining captaincy remarks quickly became one of the biggest talking points from the match.
