The franchise have got the lowest purse ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
While some teams made it to the headlines about the retentions and releases ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, the others silently built a tremendous core strength. One such team would be the Mumbai Indians. Though they would have a limited role to play in the auction on December 16, the MI target players would be clear to the management.
The five-time IPL champions have always been the franchise that have laid a lot of emphasis on nurturing talent and turning them into superstars on the world stage. The scouting team for the Mumbai Indians is regarded as one of the best in the league, which has helped them unearth talent from across the globe. That being said, the team would once again be put to the test, with a purse as low as INR 2.75 crore ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
It is no secret that the Mumbai Indians do not need to do a lot in the auction on December 16. They have got most of their bases covered before entering into the auction, and will enjoy some fiery bidding wars right in front of them. That being said, the MI target players list could potentially portray a requirement for a backup opener, which they will be on the lookout for.
The franchise acquired the services of Shardul Thakur and Mayank Markande before the retained and released players were announced. As a result, the five-time IPL champions have ensured that they have increased their all-rounder depth, as well as got a spinner on board to assist the likes of Mitchell Santner and Naman Dhir, who would be the part-timer.
ALSO READ:
One of the highlights for the Mumbai Indians has been retaining their core players. The franchise followed the same template before the IPL 2024 mega-auction as well, in which they retained their core players in Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and Jasprit Bumrah. The five-time champions understand the quality that they bring to the side.
The playing XI is set for the Mumbai Indians for the 19th edition of the IPL in 2026. That being said, one of the most important tasks for the franchise in the IPL 2026 auction would be to look for some back-up options to their primary starters. That being said, Tim Robinson from New Zealand would be one of the best overseas picks for the franchise.
The franchise has Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton as their openers, which was the template that they followed last season as well. The middle-order is stacked up with Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma, who is followed by Naman Dhir and Shardul Thakur towards the later stages of the game. In this line-up, Robinson could be very valuable as a back-up to one of the openers or the No.3 batter.
The 23-year-old has an illustrious career in front of him and has already smashed a T20I ton against South Africa off just 65 deliveries. The right-handed opener can hit the long ball and will certainly be of use at a venue like the Wankhede Stadium, where the ball comes onto the bat. Furthermore, with the purse that the franchise has, they could attract the interest of Robinson easily. Some of the other players they would go after would be domestic talents like Kartik Sharma.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
