The five-time IPL champions have the least amount of purse for the auction.
Widely known for their scouting and the ability to convert players into superstars, the Mumbai Indians have been one of the most celebrated franchises in the Indian Premier League. That being said, one of the key focuses for the franchise would be the MI auction 2026 strategy, after the retentions and releases were rolled out in November, ahead of the IPL 2026 auction on December 16.
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They were defeated by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 2 last year, but had a pretty good outing throughout the campaign. Ahead of the 19th edition of the IPL, here is how the MI auction 2026 strategy might look like.
INR 2.75 crore in the bank would be a lot of money for one. But that is generally not the case for a franchise at an auction table. The MI purse is the least out of all the franchises, and that could put them in a spot ahead of the big day in December.
The MI auction 2026 strategy has been put into place weeks before the auction itself. The management executed two trades, which are expected to reap significant rewards throughout the season. They acquired the services of Shardul Thakur from the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The management also drafted in Sherfane Rutherford from Gujarat Titans (GT).
With the budget that the five-time IPL champions have, they can only look to fill some spots in the side as back-ups to the already existing players in the squad. Their playing XI is sorted, and they have spent most of their purse on their core – Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, and Jasprit Bumrah.
With most of their bases covered, the Men in Blue will not have much of a role to play in the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi.
To to clear, the Mumbai Indians do not need any player from the auction in order to fill in their playing XI. Most of their loopholes are fixed as they were dealt with in the trade window. However, what they will do is look for some back-ups.
Here’s a likely playing XI for the IPL 2026.
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The wicketkeeper-batter can be a great prospect as MI targets IPL 2026 auction, after his release from his previous franchise, LSG. Aryan Juyal has been doing the rounds in domestic cricket for quite a few years and would be a good back-up option.
The youngster from Rajasthan is making headlines for his batting technique, which thrives on taking the bowlers to the cleaners. Kevin Pietersen recently commented about Kartik Sharma on his social media handle. Though a lot of teams could go all-in for the youngster from Rajasthan, he would be an interesting name in the MI target players list.
After brief stints in the tournament with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the youngster is yet to grab his chance in the league. His exploits with the Hubli Tigers in the Maharaja Trophy are no more a secret, and considering their budget restraints, Luvnith Sisodia might be a good investment.
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