Mumbai Indians’ (MI) ₹5.25 crore all-rounder Will Jacks seems to have all but confirmed his place in the franchise’s IPL 2026 plans, thanks to a blistering run in the ongoing Vitality T20 Blast. The England batter struck a scintillating 100 off 59 balls for Surrey against Sussex on Friday, marking his fifth T20 century.
Jacks is the kind of player that MI wanted badly. A multifaceted player, the Englishman is as versatile as anyone. While he is a destructor at the top of the order, Mumbai were forced to use him sometimes in the lower order as well. At Rs 5.25, many thought MI got a steal. After all, it was after his signing when MI owner Akash Ambani went to thank RCB in a famous, hilarious moment at the IPL 2025 mega auction.
Will Jacks in red-hot form
Jacks smashed 12 fours and 3 sixes while opening the innings and then returned to scalp 2/27 with the ball, including both openers, in a match-winning all-round effort. His run tally in the competition now reads 504 runs at an average of 50.40 and an astonishing strike rate of 164.70, the best in this season’s Vitality Blast. His last five scores read 100, 52, 57, 31, 57, giving MI ample confidence to retain him.
Top 5 run-getters at Vitality Blast 2025
| Player | Innings | Runs | Average | SR | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D’Arcy Short | 14 | 551 | 42.38 | 136.05 | 23 |
| Tawanda Muyeye | 14 | 516 | 36.86 | 142.15 | 16 |
| Will Smeed | 14 | 512 | 42.67 | 145.04 | 18 |
| Will Jacks | 10 | 504 | 50.40 | 164.71 | 23 |
| Toby Albert | 14 | 472 | 47.20 | 143.90 | 13 |
MI retention: Jacks a great option
While Jacks had a modest IPL 2025, scoring 233 runs in 11 innings and picking up six wickets. MI never quite nailed his best role in the XI. With Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton as designated openers and a stacked middle order featuring Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma, Jacks was shuffled across positions, often batting outside his comfort zone.
Still, his overall skill set proved valuable. With greater role clarity, likely as an opener or a floating aggressor, Jacks could become a core asset for MI in the coming seasons. A retention now seems more a formality than a debate.
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