Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has put forward Jasprit Bumrah as the right man to captain Mumbai Indians, as the struggling franchise faces questions over who should lead it next.
The five-time IPL champions have had a hard season, with only three wins to their name so far. Hardik Pandya’s captaincy has been closely examined throughout the tournament, and Mumbai are now expected to miss out on the playoffs.
Why Manjrekar rates Bumrah
Speaking to Sportstar, Manjrekar said he would like to see Bumrah lead India as well, because in his view nobody reads the game better. He pointed to the fast bowler’s ability to anticipate what batters will do, grasp the state of a match and judge a pitch, rather than just his bowling action. He admitted some disappointment that Bumrah has not shown interest in captaincy so far, but felt that in the IPL at least he deserves the chance.
Manjrekar also argued that leading a franchise would demand far less physically and mentally than captaining India in Test cricket, which makes the IPL a sensible place for Bumrah to start. He added that Suryakumar Yadav has stepped in to lead Mumbai in Hardik’s absence this season, but still considers Bumrah’s tactical awareness the best option over the long term.
A look back at the Hardik trade
The former batter also questioned how Mumbai handled the move to bring Hardik back from Gujarat Titans. In his opinion, the franchise should have tried to recruit coach Ashish Nehra at the same time. Hardik and Nehra had worked together successfully at Gujarat, where they guided the team to an IPL title.
With the season heading towards a disappointing end for Mumbai, debate about the team’s leadership future is likely to grow over the coming weeks.
