Mumbai Indians enter the ipl 2026 auction After maintaining a strong core led by a low purse of ₹2.75 crore and five slots to fill, including one overseas slot hardik pandyaRohit Sharma, and Jasprit BumrahThe event, taking place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on December 16, has more than 1,300 registered players competing for 77 places across all franchises, MI’s strategy focuses on targeted reinforcements in finishing power and bowling depth to strengthen their title push
5 players whom Mumbai Indians (MI) can target in IPL 2026 mini-auction
Mumbai could bid for these five players strategically to address key deficiencies in their squad, with a mix of experience, domestic promise and T20 expertise.
- david miller
The South African powerhouse provides middle-order firepower with a proven IPL strike rate of above 139 in 132 matches, including 136 sixes and pacey fielding. Issued by Lucknow Super Giants Having scored 153 runs in 11 games in the 2025 season, his death overs finishing suits MI’s aggressive batting needs, with a potential base price of under ₹2 crore.
- KM Asif
The Indian fast bowler is a raw T20 wicket-taker, having taken 40 wickets in 36 matches at an economy of 8.32, with a best performance of 3/15. Listed for the auction at a modest ₹40 lakh base price, Asif represents cost-effective pace depth for MI’s weak overseas-limited attack.
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- Akash Madhwal
A familiar face to MI fans, the Roorkee pacer burst onto the scene in 2023 with 14 wickets, including a record of 5/5 against Lucknow Super Giants. Issued by Rajasthan Royals After a dip in form, his powerplay and death-over skills make him an affordable uncapped buyback of around ₹30 lakh to reclaim his MI role.
- nathan ellis
Australia’s death over specialist impressed Chennai Super Kings ₹2 crore in 2025, taking a wicket every 17.5 balls with a fast yorker on slow pitches in the IPL. If a post-retention shift is available, his variations would perfectly compensate for MI’s lack of overseas pace, although the threat of a bidding war looms given his T20 pedigree in 11 IPL games.
- Vignesh Puthur
The young left-arm wrist spinner from Kerala has had a stellar 2025 for MI, taking 3/32 against CSK despite limited pre-T20 performances. Continuing in the squad tweaks, his mystery spin at a low base price provides a high-upside domestic rotation, aligning with MI’s youth investment ethos.
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