The IPL 2026 player auction will take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi.
The IPL 2026 auction is around the corner, and every Mumbai Indians fan is asking the same question: who will MI buy? Several gaps are to be filled, but with a refreshed approach under their current leadership group, the Mumbai Indians will target smart, high-impact signings.
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As the franchise builds its wish list of MI target players, the focus will be on experience and consistency. The five-time IPL champions aim to build a squad for a record-breaking sixth IPL trophy in 2026.
Here, we break down five MI IPL 2026 auction targets who tick all the right boxes and could fit into the remaining purse of INR 2.75 crore.
MI has released two spinners – Vignesh Puthur and Karn Sharma. They would like to get their hands on another spinner alongside Allah Ghazanfar and Mayank Markande. This spot can be filled by Rahul Chahar, who can make good use of his loop and drift at Wankhede, along with the subtle use of his variations in length and pace. Chahar has played for the Mumbai Indians from 2019 to 2022 and was a part of two IPL-winning squads, having last played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2025.
MI’s bowling unit looks solid, but they will want to get another Indian pacer in their squad, along with Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur. Chahar often has injury concerns, and Thakur might not offer much consistency. Simarjeet Singh can offer variety and depth, making him a smart addition to who will MI buy. Although he only played four matches and clinched only two wickets in 2025, Singh is a promising pacer who is known to hit the right lengths, something that MI can use to add depth to their pace attack. He could definitely be one of the players on the who will MI buy list.
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Delano Potgieter is emerging as one of MI target players ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. He’s already closely tied with the Mumbai Indians brand, having starred for MI Cape Town in the SA20 and now signed up with MI New York in the Major League Cricket (MLC).
As an all-rounder, he delivers value with both bat and ball – left-handed with the bat, and a right-arm medium-pace wicket-taker. Talking about his T20 record, he has picked up 39 wickets at an average of around 16. Given his association with MI across franchises and his high-impact skill set, Potgieter could be a key piece in the MI IPL 2026 auction targets.
After releasing KL Shrijith, MI will want to get an Indian wicketkeeper for their squad. This is where Luvnith Sisodia can come in. The stylish, hard-hitting top-order batter, who can also keep wickets, can be a great answer to who will MI buy. The franchise could get him at a cheap fee and strengthen their wicketkeeper-batting options along with Ryan Rickelton and Robin Minz.
MI will require an opening backup other than Ryan Rickelton to give explosive starts. Prithvi Shaw can fit well and make a comeback in the IPL. Shaw has been performing exceedingly well with the bat for Maharashtra lately, and his exploits as an opener are well known to the cricketing world.
With his experience and potential for big innings, Shaw could provide the aggression MI wants at the top. Shaw went unsold at the IPL 2025 auction, but looking at his recent performances for Maharashtra, we could see the youngster from Thane make his way into MI target players.
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