The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would’ve certainly added a few extra packets of snacks on the Mumbai Indians’ auction table on December 16. After all, they entered the mini auction with a paltry purse of Rs 2.75 crore, the smallest ever for a franchise in any IPL auction. But that also shows how settled MI were. While other teams needed an auction window to iron out their holes, MI didn’t have much, as they did much of their magic before the auction.
We are obviously talking about the three trade deals, where MI brought in Shardul Thakur, Mayank Markande and obviously Sherfane Rutherford. All three can walk into the first XII anytime. Not to forget, the main core of the side still includes huge names like Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Trent Boult and, of course, skipper Hardik Pandya.
But we are here to talk about how the team shapes up after the IPL 2026 auction. Despite a modicum budget of less than three crore, MI managed to buy five players, including an overseas star. Completing their quota of 25 players, MI were still left with Rs 55 lakh.
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 |
Mumbai Indians: Hits at IPL Auction 2026
First of all, kudos to the Mumbai Indians for roping in Quinton de Kock despite having the purse of Rs 2.75 crore. In an auction, where prices of several players got hiked due to dynamics of supply and demand, MI managed to get hold of an IPL veteran. The former MI opener formed a terrific opening partnership with Rohit Sharma. The duo accumulated 1269 runs in the three seasons Quinton was with MI. In those three years, he won the IPL title twice. So, considering his recent form, one would imagine that he’d replace Ryan Rickelton in the side.
Once MI got Quinton, they sat quietly for almost the entirety of the auction. Their lack of purse came in between them and their desire to sign particular talents but MI have added two great batting youngsters in Mayank Rawat and Danish Malewar. Mayank is a hard-hitting dasher in Delhi cricket and could be a dark horse in the side if MI somehow need to add an extra overseas spinner by dropping Rutherford.
Mumbai Indians: Flops at IPL 2026 auction
After the IPL 2025 mega auction, there were a couple of glaring holes in the MI team. However, almost all the things are sorted now. As mentioned earlier, the major hits for MI came via their trade deals. They have added enough Indian pace options. However, it would be difficult to fit both Thakur and Chahar together in the starting lineup. This could be a good thing for MI as both of them tend to leak runs in the format.
Having said that, MI lack a top-order batting backup. With both Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav on the other side of their 30s, one cannot ensure that they would remain fit throughout the full season.
Also, MI should’ve added another local spin option. Currently, there’s a dilemma in the camp, as, in an ideal world, MI would want both Santner and Ghazanfar to play. But with both being overseas players, only one of them is most likely touted to get a nod. Hence, MI could’ve bolstered the Indian spin department, as they had left with Rs 55 lakh, and both Karn Sharma and Kumar Kartikeya went unsold at Rs 30 lakh each. Also, MI could’ve gone for either Money Grewal or Simarjeet Singh, who are much more potent pacers.
Full Mumbai Indians (MI) squad for IPL 2026
AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Markande (traded), Mitchell Santner, Naman Dhir, Raghu Sharma, Raj Angad Bawa, Robin Minz, Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Shardul Thakur (traded), Sherfane Rutherford (traded), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Verma, Trent Boult, Will Jacks, Danish Malewar (INR 30 lakh), Quinton de Kock (INR 1 Cr), Atharva Ankolekar (INR 30 lakh), Mayank Rawat (INR 30 lakh), Mohammad Izhar (INR 30 lakh)
