They reached Qualifier 2 in IPL 2025, where they lost to Punjab Kings.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Auction will take place in a few months, and it will give Mumbai Indians (MI) an opportunity to plug the holes in their squad. The five-time champions haven’t won a title in five years, and they’ll be desperate to change that in the upcoming edition.
Here’s a look at the likely MI released players list and how the MI squad might shape up ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
Mumbai Indians like familiar faces on the side. Sticking true to their OneFamily mantra, they don’t make too many changes on the side. Ahead of the IPL 2026 Auction, here’s a look at the likely MI Released Players List:
MI are likely to retain most of their squad but could release a few underperformers and misfits. Here’s a look at some of the big players and why they feature in the expected MI Released Players List:
Mumbai Indians had spent INR 9.25 crore in the mega auction to acquire Deepak Chahar. However, the right-arm seamer could not deliver what was expected of him. Chahar took 11 wickets in 14 innings at a high economy of 9.17. In all likelihood, MI will release him to free up the budget.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman was brought in as a replacement after AM Ghazanfar was ruled out of the IPL 2025. He played only one game and conceded 28 off two overs. MI will retain the young spin sensation Ghazanfar, whom they had bought for INR 4.80 crore.
Reece Topley was with the team throughout the season but did not get a game. Even when they played two overseas pacers, MI preferred Gleeson over him. They are likely to release him and look for better alternatives.
Here’s how the MI squad might look after retentions and releases:
Category: Retained
Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Ryan Rickelton, Will Jacks, Trent Boult, Mitch Santner, Bevon Jacobs, Corbin Bosch, Vignesh Puthur, Karn Sharma, KL Srijith, Raj Bawa, Arjun Tendulkar, AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar.
Category: Released
Deepak Chahar, Reece Topley, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Lizaad Williams, Satyanarayana Raju, Robin Minz.
Captaincy Status
Despite his poor display of tactics in IPL 2025 and underwhelming returns as a player, Hardik Pandya is likely to continue as the MI captain.
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Mumbai Indians like left-arm pacers, and Spencer Johnson would be a perfect fit in their squad. The Aussie pacer had an awful IPL 2025 campaign but has the potential to be a good all-phase bowler.
It’d be hard to see Mumbai Indians releasing Will Jacks after the value he added as an off-spin all-rounder in the previous season. But if they do decide to release him, Cameron Green will be on their radar in the IPL 2026 auction.
If the franchise releases Deepak Chahar, they will need an Indian seamer. If Mayank Yadav is released by Lucknow Super Giants, there’s a good chance MI will target him. The other options could be Tushar Deshpande, Rasikh Salam, and Akash Deep.
Mumbai Indians need a lower-middle-order batter for backup. Last season, they tried Robin Minz and Raj Bawa in that role, but both were misfits. Abhinav Manohar, if released by Sunrisers Hyderabad, could be a decent option.
Likely released names include Deepak Chahar, Reece Topley, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Lizaad Williams, Satyanarayana Raju, and Robin Minz.
Mumbai Indians could go for another Indian seamer like Mayank Yadav, Akash Deep, Tushar Deshpande, or Rasikh Salam.
MI can replace Reece Topley with the Aussie speedster Spencer Johnson.
Abhinav Manohar could be a good option to replace Robin Minz.
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