Rohit Sharma will play under Hardik Pandya's captaincy in IPL 2026. Credits - AFP
Mumbai Indians, the joint-most successful IPL team, will begin their campaign this season at the Wankhede Stadium against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday. After the mini-auction for IPL 2026, the five-time champion made a well-rounded squad for a sixth title.
However, MI have won an IPL trophy since 2020, which is their second longest drought in terms of not winning a championship. Although they played the playoffs last season, the IPL 2023 was where MI played their true selves.
Watch - Akash Madhwal reunites with Rohit Sharma
Ahead of IPL 2024, MI had to part ways with Akash Madhwal, who was later bagged by the Rajasthan Royals. The Uttarakhand paceman is back home, reuniting with MI as a net bowler for IPL 2026.
MI sealed the opportunity and shared an endearing video of the duo meeting each other in a practice session ahead of the MI vs KKR clash on Saturday. The young seamer was seen bowing to Rohit while greeting him, before his former captain put his arm around Madhwal’s shoulder. Later, the two shared a couple of words.
Madhwal speaks highly of Rohit Sharma, as he was used to his full potential by the five-time championship-winning captain.
It is worth mentioning that the 32-year-old pacer only got to nine matches across his two-year stint with the Rajasthan Royals. He went underutilised there as he warmed the bench for the majority of the time.
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During the mini-auction ahead of IPL 2026, Madhwal went unsold after failing to attract any buyers. But, he has joined the MI as a net/support bowler, and he would be the first in line in case of any injuries or late pull-outs.
Jasprit Bumrah is back & roaring!
Talking about injuries, there was a dark cloud over the MI camp when Jasprit Bumrah visited BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru earlier in the week. However, the national treasure is fine and has joined MI ahead of the opener against KKR.
Bumrah had to visit the CoE to work on his strength and conditioning, and he is cleared to fully participate in the IPL 2026. Recently, he played eight out of nine games for India during the victorious 2026 T20 World Cup.
It is understood that the BCCI will manage Jasprit Bumrah's workload after IPL 2026, as his services will be used only in the Test and ODI formats, given the WTC final and the ODI World Cup to be held in 2027. Bumrah's workload management is nothing new, as Team India has been cautious about his fitness since he broke down for more than a year back in 2022.
Nevertheless, the MI quick has been exceptional since coming back after a year-long rehabilitation. Even in the IPL, he has taken 38 wickets in the last two seasons, returning with economy rates of 6.68 in IPL 2025 and 6.48 in the season prior.
Mumbai Indians' squad for IPL 2026
Hardik Pandya (c), Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sherfane Rutherford, Robin Minz (wk), Ryan Rickelton (wk), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Naman Dhir, Will Jacks, Corbin Bosch, Raj Angad Bawa, Shardul Thakur, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar, Raghu Sharma, AM Ghazanfar, Mayank Markande, Quinton de Kock (wk), Danish Malewar, Mohammad Izhar, Mayank Rawat, Atharva Ankolekar
Also Read: MS Dhoni Ruled Out Of IPL 2026 For CSK Matches, Official Statement Given
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