KKR vs MI IPL 2026: Mumbai Indians have etched an unwanted record in the ongoing season as they have emerged as just the second team in IPL history to compete under three different skippers in three consecutive matches. The former champions have stumbled due to injuries, inconsistent performances, and rapid changes in captaincy. In the last three matches, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya have each rallied the team from the front.
Besides the Mumbai-based franchise, Pune Warriors India also experienced leadership fluctuations during IPL 2013, with Ross Taylor, Angelo Matthews, and Aaron Finch guiding the team from the front.
Captaincy changes in MI ignited when regular captain Hardik Pandya skipped a game due to a back spasm. He first missed the match against the Lucknow Super Giants earlier this month, then sat out the match against the Rajat Patidar-led side in Raipur, even though he traveled with the team. Suryakumar seized leadership in his absence.
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Pandya also avoided travel to Dharamshala, where they crushed the Punjab Kings by six wickets. Since Suryakumar wasn't available due to the birth of his daughter, Bumrah stepped up to lead the team and became the third skipper this year.
Hardik gradually reclaimed the captaincy responsibility in the ongoing match against the Ajinkya Rahane-led side.
The Hardik Pandya-led side has endured a disappointing campaign, crashing out of the playoffs after clinching only 4 of 12 group-stage matches.
They launched their campaign with a flying start, overpowering the same opponents by six wickets, but failed to sustain their winning streak. They stumbled against teams like Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Punjab Kings, which resulted in their fall to the lower half of the points table. They attempted a comeback during their match against the Shubman Gill-led side, but then suffered consecutive losses to teams like the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side, SRH, and the Chennai-based franchise once again.
They snatched victories against PBKS and LSG, but it was too late for them to surge back into the playoff race.