Mumbai Indians (MI) and England all-rounder Will Jacks is an incredible talent who can deliver with both the bat and ball. This was precisely why MI splurged INR 5.25 crores on the 26-year-old at the mega auction last time around.
However, Jacks failed to live up to his lofty reputation, managing a mediocre outing with 233 runs, averaging 23.30 at an unimpressive strike-rate for T20s of 135.46. It was a pale shadow of his explosive hitting abilities, a testament to which he had given during the previous season (IPL 2024) playing for RCB, where he smacked 230 runs at 32.85 average and a fiery strike rate of 175.57.
His current international form has also not been great which might make the five-time champions consider releasing him ahead of the IPL 2026 retention deadline on November 15. In case Jacks enters the auction, he is a player who packs incredible firepower and teams will be eager not to miss out on such a utility buy. Let’s take a look at three franchises that can be in pursuit of the dynamic all-rounder at the IPL 2026 auction.
RCB had him in 2024 but did not opt to use RTM to buy him back at the mega-auction last year. Instead, the defending champions decided to secure another England all-rounder in a similar role – Liam Livingstone. Bought for a big amount of INR 8.75 crores, Livingstone couldn’t do justice to the price tag, managing just 112 runs in 10 matches with a paltry average of 16 while picking only two wickets with the ball.
Given his subpar show, it is clear RCB will release Livingstone which would free up a considerable amount in their budget and an overseas spot. RCB can thus simply go back to Jacks, who have already delivered in the Bengaluru outfit while adding a solid finisher in the ranks.
ALSO READ:
The IPL 2025 runners-up are another team that can benefit from signing someone like Will Jacks. PBKS had Glenn Maxwell, who had an unimpressive season before leaving due to injury. In seven games, he scored 48 runs at an average of 7 and picked four wickets. PBKS need someone to replace Maxwell in the side and Jacks is a like-for-like option if he is available in the auction.
The Royals endured a disappointing season, finishing ninth with just four wins from 14 games. Despite a solid top order, RR’s finishers struggled.
Hetmyer, Dubey, and Hasaranga posted underwhelming numbers, revealing a critical gap not only in RR’s finishing woes but also in the absence of a reliable all-rounder.
RR thus need a genuine batting all-rounder who can close out games with the bat while chipping in with the ball and this is where Will Jacks can be an apt choice for the franchise as they look to turn around their fortunes.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
