Former Indian batsman and Ranji Trophy legend Wasim Jaffer chose his probable playing XII for this Mumbai Indians Before IPL 2026.
The five-time champions will enter the IPL in 2026 after reaching the playoffs in 2025. They have retained most of their core from that season, filling the void with trade deals like Shardul Thakur and Mayank Markandey and the much-awaited return of South African Quinton de Kock, who starred for them in the title-winning 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Jaffer pointed out that both De Kock and compatriot Ryan Rickelton are capable of playing with Rohit Sharma at the top of the order. With 388 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 150.97, Rickelton was a reliable presence at the top of the order for Mumbai Indians in his debut season.
Jaffer made star all-rounder and captain of Mumbai Indians hardik pandya At number 4. While playing for Gujarat Titans, Hardik had often batted at that position for the Titans, but since his return to Mumbai Indians in 2024, he has played there only three times.
Mitchell Santner, Sherfane Rutherford and Trent Boult occupy overseas spots, with no room left for will jacks. The England all-rounder has grown in stature since the 2025 IPL, becoming a regular in the white-ball teams for the Three Lions, and was arguably their best player at the 2026 T20 World Cup, contributing with both bat and ball, scoring 226 runs at a strike rate of over 175, and also took nine wickets with his off-spin.
Naman Dheer, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah and Mayank Markande complete Jaffer's probable squad.
“Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton/Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Verma, Sherfane Rutherford, Naman Dheer, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult,” Jaffer said on his YouTube channel.
Mumbai Indians will begin their 2026 IPL campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders on March 29 at the Wankhede Stadium. MI are looking for their sixth title, their last title win coming in 2020 under Rohit Sharma.
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