Mumbai Indians enter the IPL 2026 mini-auction with the smallest purse in the league, holding just Rs 2.75 crore, alongside five available slots and one overseas vacancy. With a largely settled championship-ready core, MI’s auction strategy will be driven by necessity rather than ambition.
Mumbai Indians squad overview
Probable playing XII:
Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Tilak Varma, Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashwani Kumar
Other squad members:
Sherfane Rutherford, AM Ghazanfar, Corbin Bosch, Mayank Markande, Raghu Sharma, Raj Angad Bawa, Robin Minz, Shardul Thakur
What Mumbai Indians need at the auction
Mumbai Indians have minimal room for manoeuvre, and that is reflected in their modest purse. The core of the side—built around Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Trent Boult—remains intact, leaving MI with only two clear priorities.
The first is a backup wicketkeeper. While Ryan Rickelton is currently slotted as the first-choice keeper, his poor run of form in recent months has raised concerns. With only one overseas slot available, MI will need to be extremely selective, balancing experience with affordability. Whether they manage to land their first-choice keeper will depend entirely on bidding dynamics, given their tight budget.
The second requirement is a domestic middle-order batter who can provide cover and flexibility. With a long season and potential injury concerns, MI will want an Indian option who can slot in without disrupting the balance of the side. Given the lack of funds, this is likely to be a base-price or near base-price acquisition.
Beyond these two roles, MI are unlikely to chase luxury buys. Their bowling depth is already strong, and the presence of all-round options like Santner, Pandya, and Chahar reduces the urgency to add more utility players.
Potential targets for Mumbai Indians
With limited funds, Mumbai Indians will be shopping strictly in the value segment, especially for wicketkeepers:
- Jonny Bairstow – experienced but may stretch MI’s budget
- Kusal Mendis – compact overseas wicketkeeper-batter option
- Jamie Smith – younger, high-upside keeper-batter
- Tim Seifert – proven T20 wicketkeeper, potentially affordable
Auction outlook
Mumbai Indians are expected to be quiet but precise at the IPL 2026 mini-auction. With the smallest purse among all teams, their focus will be on plugging gaps rather than reshaping the squad. If MI can secure a reliable wicketkeeping backup and a domestic middle-order batter within budget, they will walk away satisfied, trusting their proven core to do the heavy lifting once the season begins.
