IPL 2026: 3 players MI should target in auction

MI still have 5 slots available for IPL 2026 mini-auction.

Five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) winners Mumbai Indians (MI) will be the only team with an almost set squad. Hardik Pandya-led side managed to retain many of the players who were part of the side last season.

It has been five years since MI have won the IPL title. Last season, they came close to qualifying for the finals before losing to the Punjab Kings in the second qualifier game.

The Mumbai Indians are known for their excellent scouting system. Apart from unknown talents, MI will also want to shore up on local talents as back-ups to the main squad. Shardul Thakur, Sherfane Rutherford, and Mayank Markande were the players who were traded by MI ahead of the auction.  

On the other hand, they released Bevon Jacobs, Jonny Bairstow, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman and traded Arjun Tendulkar to Lucknow Super Giants. On that note, let’s take a look at three players MI should consider targeting in the IPL 2026 mini-auction.

3- Tanush Kotian

Mumbai’s star spinner Tanush Kotian was a surprise call-up as a replacement player a few seasons ago for the Rajasthan Royals. The right-arm spinner is an ex-factor bowler with the ability to take key wickets and also put pressure on the batters with his tight lines and lengths.

Tanush has a base price of INR 30 Lakhs, which should fit well into MI’s meagre purse of INR 2.75 Crores. The 27-year-old has played 35 T20 games so far and claimed 33 wickets with an economy rate of 6.5 runs per over. Kotian could also become the frontline spinner for MI, who have struggled in the spin department for a few years.

2- Kartik Sharma

Rajasthan’s young wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma has been touted as a promising player for the future. The 19-year-old made an immediate impact on his List A debut, scoring a century against Maharashtra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Kartik has played 12 T20 games for Rajasthan so far, scoring 334 runs with two fifties. One of the most notable aspects about the youngster is his strike rate which is a healthy 162. MI will want to bag the youngster and develop him into the next big thing in Indian cricket.

1- Akash Madhwal

The Mumbai Indians are known not only for nurturing talent but also for forming a close bond. Akash Madhwal is a popular figure at the Wankhede Stadium, not only among the players but also among the fans.

The 32-year-old pacer from Uttarakhand has played 13 games for MI and picked a total of 19 wickets with a best figure of 5/5, which came in the 2023 season.

Madhwal is a skiddy pacer with the ability to hurry the batter with his unpredictable pace, which could suit the wicket at Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai will look for someone to provide good back-up to Jasprit Bumrah and also bring in as an impact player in case they are bowling second. Despite Ashwani Kumar’s decent showing, the lack of experience hurt MI last year.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.