The Mumbai Indians (MI) didn’t have much room to breathe at the IPL 2026 auction, operating with a purse of just Rs 2.75 crore. Yet, somehow, they managed to pull off the one move that could reshape their entire season. Bringing back Quinton de Kock at a modest price of Rs 1 crore was vintage MI thinking. They even get hold of a spinner, a pacer, and two backup batting options, including Mayank Rawat, who is an exciting white-ball player in Delhi cricket. With that, the core of MI’s strongest XI almost picks itself.
Strongest Mumbai Indians Playing XII for IPL 2026
| S. No. | Player | Backup Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rohit Sharma | |
| 2 | Quinton De Kock (wk)✈️ | Ryan Rickelton ✈️ (wk) |
| 3 | Suryakumar Yadav | |
| 4 | Tilak Varma | Danish Malewar |
| 5 | Naman Dhir | Robin Minz (wk) |
| 6 | Hardik Pandya (C) | Mayank Rawat/Raj Bawa |
| 7 | Sherfane Rutherford ✈️ | Will Jacks✈️/Corbin Bosch ✈️ |
| 8 | Mitchell Santner ✈️ | Allah Ghazanfar ✈️ |
| 9 | Deepak Chahar | Shardul Thakur |
| 10 | Jasprit Bumrah | |
| 11 | Trent Boult ✈️ | Ashwani Kumar/Mohammad Izhar |
| 12 (Impact Sub) | Mayank Markande | Raghu Sharma/Atharva Ankolekar |
The headline act is obvious. Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock are back together, a partnership that gave MI 1,269 runs and two IPL titles earlier. Given de Kock’s recent form and familiarity with MI conditions, he walks straight into the XI, replacing Ryan Rickelton at the top. Rickelton did nothing majorly wrong last season but De Kock feels a bit of an upgrade as he has an experience of 115 IPL games. Also in 2025, Quinton has 10 fifties in T20 cricket to his name. He is a much better keeper than Rickelton too.
At No.3, MI should resist experimentation. Tilak Varma has outstanding numbers for India in that role and remains their most dependable middle-order batter. Suryakumar Yadav at four is non-negotiable, ruling out Will Jacks, who might miss out due to Sherfane Rutherford. Jacks is an exceptional talent but there’s no room for him in top four, where he could be a menace.
Rutherford a great partner to Pandya
In Rutherford, MI have a gun overseas finisher, something they have lacked since Kieron Pollard’s retirement. MI flunked a chance in backing Tim David as well. Hence, Rutherford might be a superb option and is a powerful left-hander. Alongside him, Hardik Pandya and Naman Dhir are there. Naman Dhir’s presence lengthens the batting and gives MI another option to absorb pressure. Pandya, meanwhile, will be the engine room of this team.
Bowling-wise, Bumrah and Boult remain the first names on the sheet. Deepak Chahar gets the nod ahead of Shardul Thakur because he pairs naturally with Boult with the new ball. If Chahar’s form dips, Thakur is ready to step in without disrupting balance. Spin is where MI may rotate. Santner starts as the safe option, but reports suggest MI are keen to blood Allah Ghazanfar. He could play alongside Santner only if Rutherford is benched on slower tracks. In a normal case, Mayank Markande would be the impact sub (batting first) as he can pair a great spin duo with Santner.
One quiet but smart addition is Mayank Rawat. If MI need an Indian finisher late in the season, he could be a genuine dark horse. His inclusion can allow MI to field both Ghazanfar and Santner, making them the best team in the tournament. This XI feels very MI as it has experience at the core, explosiveness around it, and flexibility enough to adapt without panic.
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