The five-time champions, Mumbai Indians, are making waves with their early trades as they gear up to break their trophy drought in IPL 2026.

 

Last season, they made it to Qualifier 2, showcasing glimpses of the classic Mumbai Indians style. However, it was clear that they needed to address some issues, like their spin depth, middle-order consistency, and concerns during the death overs, which influenced their strategy ahead of the mini-auction. 

 

One of the most exciting moves has been MI’s proactive approach in the trade window. They’ve welcomed back leg-spinner Mayank Markande from KKR, a player who kicked off his IPL journey with Mumbai. They also bolstered their all-rounder lineup by bringing in Shardul Thakur from Lucknow Super Giants. Plus, the return of Sherfane Rutherford from the Gujarat Titans is expected to inject some serious power into the middle order. On the flip side, MI has bid farewell to bowling all-rounder Arjun Tendulkar, who has transferred to LSG.

 

As retention day approaches, a lot of chatter has revolved around MI’s Indian core, which has historically been the foundation of their success. The futures of key players like Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Tilak Varma have been hot topics. Given their significant contributions, these players are likely to remain on the retained list. 

 

Among the overseas contingent, players like Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, and Ryan Rickelton are set to stay, thanks to their vital roles in the 2025 season and the balance they bring to the team. Meanwhile, MI has made the tough decision to part ways with nine players.

 

Also Read | Watch: Rishabh Pant Calls Jadeja “Jadender”, Jadeja Bowls Stubbs Moments Later

 

MI Retained Players List for IPL 2026

 

Players

Hardik Pandya (C)

Rohit Sharma

Suryakumar Yadav

Tilak Varma

Robin Minz

Ryan Rickelton

Naman Dhir

Mitchell Santner

Will Jacks

Corbin Bosch

Raj Bawa

Trent Boult

Jasprit Bumrah

Deepak Chahar

Ashwani Kumar

Raghu Sharma

Allah Ghazanfar

 

MI Released Players List for IPL 2026

 

Players

Arjun Tendulkar

Satyanarayana Raju

Reece Topley

KL Shrijith

Karn Sharma

Bevon Jacobs

Mujeeb ur Rahman

Lizaad Williams

Vignesh Puthur

 

MI Traded Players List for IPL 2026

 

Players	Trade From	Trade To	Price
Arjun Tendulkar	Mumbai Indians	Lucknow Super Giants	INR 30 lakh
Mayank Markande	Kolkata Knight Riders	Mumbai Indians	INR 30 lakh
Sherfane Rutherford	Gujarat Titans	Mumbai Indians	INR 2.6 crore
Shardul Thakur	Lucknow Super Giants	Mumbai Indians	INR 2 crore