Why did Will Jacks miss DC vs MI clash of IPL 2026?

Will Jacks did not play the Mumbai Indians’ opening match against KKR.

After a long six-day break, the Mumbai Indians have returned to action at the Indian Premier League 2026 against the Delhi Capitals. Match 8 will mark the first day game of IPL 2026, as the 2020 finalists take on each other. MI managed to achieve a feat that had eluded them for nearly 14 years, as they won their first opening match in IPL since 2012.

Also Read: Why did Trent Boult miss DC vs MI clash of IPL 2026?

MI thrashed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), chasing down a 200+ score with ease. The form of their openers, mainly Rohit Sharma, will please the five-time champions, as they look to win their sixth title this season. Their first away challenge will be against the Delhi Capitals (DC) at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.

The DC also kicked off their campaign with a victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). DC boast one of the best bowling lineups, including the spin duo of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, alongside quality pacers like Lungi Ngidi, Mukesh Kumar and T Natarajan.

While chasing a below-par score, the DC suffered an early collapse, but impact sub Sameer Rizvi stitched a 100-run partnership alongside Tristan Stubbs to guide DC home. A stiff challenge awaits the home side, who have lost 5 out of their last 7 matches to MI.

Why did Will Jacks miss the DC vs MI clash in IPL 2026?

DC won the toss and opted to field first in the encounter. Will Jacks is not part of the MI vs DC clash. He was one of the most valuable players at the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026.

His all-round performance with both bat and ball helped him gain a lot of attention as he played a crucial role in England’s journey.

Batting at No. 6 and finishing the innings for his team, MI would have likely used him at a similar position, and his improved spin bowling would have boosted MI’s spin arsenal. However, the English all-rounder is yet to arrive at the IPL this season.

Due to this reason, he missed MI’s opening clash against KKR. With still no update on when he will return, Jacks was unavailable for selection against DC. Reports from Cricbuzz said that Jacks requested the franchise for additional time to spend with his family, following a long T20 World Cup.

However, Mitchell Santner’s return will strengthen the bowling, potentially at the expense of Allah Ghazanfar. Jacks’ role is currently being performed by West Indies’ Sherfane Rutherford, who is in great form himself. However, Jacks’ spin bowling is what MI will miss until he joins the squad.

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