Check out Mumbai Indians’ strongest XII for Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) after mini-auction
Mumbai Indians (MI) didn’t have much room to breathe in 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 a vintage MI thought. They even get their hands on a spinner, a pacer and two back-up batting options including Mayank Rawat, who is an exciting white-ball player in Delhi cricket. With this, the core of MI’s strongest XI almost chooses itself.
Strongest Mumbai Indians play XII for IPL 2026
| S. No. | Player | Backup drive |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rohit Sharma | |
| 2 | Quinton De Kock (week)✈️ | Ryan Rickelton ✈️ (week) |
| 3 | Suryakumar Yadav | |
| 4 | Tilak Varma | Danish Malewar |
| 5 | The Plant Man | Robin Minz (week) |
| 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 (under-impact) | Mayank Markande | Raghu Sharma/Atharva Ankolekar |
The title 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 comes straight into the XI, replacing Ryan Rickelton at the top. Rickelton didn’t do anything major wrong last season, but De Kock feels a bit improved as he has experience of 115 IPL matches. Also in 2025, Quinton has 10 fifties in T20 cricket to his name. He’s also a much better goaltender than Rickelton.
At #3, MI should resist experimentation. Tilak Varma has exceptional numbers for India in this role and remains their most reliable middle-order hitter. Suryakumar Yadav at four is non-tradeable, ruling out Will Jacks, who could miss out because of Sherfane Rutherford. Jacks is an exceptional talent but there is no place for him in the top four, where he could be a threat.
Rutherford, an excellent partner for Pandya
In Rutherford, Michigan, there’s an overseas finisher, something they’ve been missing since Kieron Pollard retired. MI also missed their chance by supporting Tim David. Therefore, Rutherford could be a superb option and is a powerful lefty. Alongside him, Hardik Pandya and Naman Dhir are there. The presence of Naman Dhir lengthens the batting and gives MI another option to absorb pressure. Pandya, on the other hand, will be the engine room of this team.
On the bowling front, Bumrah and Boult remain the first names on the sheet. Deepak Chahar gets the nod ahead of Shardul Thakur as he naturally combines with Boult with the new ball. If Chahar’s form declines, Thakur is ready to step in without disturbing the balance. Spin is where MI can spin. Santner starts as the safe option, but reports suggest MI are keen to shed the blood of Allah Ghazanfar. He could only play alongside Santner if Rutherford is put on slower tracks. In a normal case, Mayank Markande would be the impact replacement (batting first) as he can combine an excellent spin duo with Santner.
Mayank Rawat is a quiet but smart addition. If MI need an Indian finisher late in the season, he could be a real dark horse. His inclusion can allow MI to field both Ghazanfar and Santner, making them the best team in the tournament. This XI looks very MI as he has experience at the base, explosiveness around him and enough flexibility to adapt without panic.
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