Bhagat handed debut after late call-up
Krish Bhagat’s path to this game has been quick. Signed as a replacement for the injured Atharva Ankolekar, the 21-year-old now makes his debut for Mumbai Indians against Gujarat Titans.
A right-arm seamer from Punjab, Bhagat has been around the Mumbai setup through trials and as a support bowler, but this is his first real test at this level. On April 16, 2026, MI signed him at his base price of ₹30 lakh. He has limited domestic experience, with seven first-class and nine List A matches, but has shown enough to earn this chance.
His role is straightforward. He will be asked to bowl into a strong Gujarat batting line-up and hold his own. Working alongside Jasprit Bumrah should help, but the demands will be immediate.
Mumbai’s bowling under pressure
Mumbai’s bowling has not been up to the mark this season. They have struggled for control and have not taken wickets at key moments. Bhagat’s inclusion points to a need for change, even if it comes with uncertainty.
Mumbai need tighter spells and better execution across phases. If Bhagat can offer even basic control, it will ease some of that pressure. If not, the same issues could continue.
Gujarat Titans won the toss and chose to bowl, putting Mumbai in first.
Mumbai Indians Playing XI: Danish Malewar, Quinton de Kock (wk), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Tilak Varma, Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell Santner, Krish Bhagat, Jasprit Bumrah, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar
Gujarat Titans Playing XI: B Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada, Ashok Sharma, Prasidh Krishna
Impact Substitutes:
Gujarat Titans: Anuj Rawat, Rahul Tewatia, Jason Holder, Manav Suthar, Kulwant Khejroliya
Mumbai Indians: Corbin Bosch, Raj Angad Bawa, Raghu Sharma, Ashwani Kumar, Mayank Rawat