They had retained the core for INR 75 crore.
Mumbai Indians, five-time champions, haven’t won a title in five years and that could force them to make some tough calls ahead of the IPL 2026 retention deadline. In the previous edition, they reached the playoffs and beat Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator. But their campaign ended with a defeat to Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2.
Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, Mumbai Indians opted to retain their five Indian superstars. They managed to build a solid team around that core but had some holes. MI will be hoping to plug those in the upcoming auction.
Mumbai Indians are one of those franchises who believe in loyalty and stability. Over the years, they have tried to stick with familiar faces and for that reason, we can expect them to retain as many players as they can. However, they will let go of a few non performing players from the previous season.
It is likely to be a short list as most of their other players have strong cases to be retained. Deepak Chahar could be their big money release to free up the purse. The Indian seamer couldn’t make much impact in the last season, picking up 11 wickets from 14 matches at an economy of 9.17.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who was brought in as a replacement for fellow countryman AM Ghazanfar, also failed to make a mark. He played only one game and conceded 27 runs in two overs. Reece Topley was a backup to Trent Boult and did not get a single game in the season.
Lizaad Williams was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury, and is likely to be released in search of other overseas pacers. Robin Minz could also be on the chopping block after unimpressive outings.
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While the franchise has a history of sticking with their own, they might be forced to have tough talks before the upcoming auction.
Rohit Sharma has given Mumbai Indians five IPL trophies but is currently in the twilight of his career. Earlier this year, he retired from Test cricket and his future in the fifty-over format looks uncertain. This might plant a few doubts in the MI management.
Can Sharma play the next season? Will he be fit enough to feature in the 2027 season when he will be 40 years of age. Rohit was retained for INR 16.30 crore but given his brand value, MI will not worry about that. He also had one of his better seasons in IPL 2025, where he amassed 418 runs at an average of nearly 30 while striking at 149. In all likelihood, they will retain him but will have concerns around his fitness.
Will Jacks is a curious case as MI have equal reasons to keep him or release him. The England all-rounder had a poor IPL 2025 campaign with the bat, where he made 233 runs from 11 innings at an average of 23 and strike rate of 135. He managed to make some impact with his off-spin bowling, earning two ‘Player of the Match’ awards.
Jacks was bought by MI for INR 5.25 crore and releasing him could free up some purse heading into the IPL 2026 auction. But he is a part of Oval Invincibles, the franchise in The Hundred MI have bought stakes in. This link could help Jacks save his retention spot.
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