Mumbai Indians (MI) are reportedly exploring trade options to strengthen their spin department ahead of the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini-auction. The five-time IPL champions have approached Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to acquire two of their former players.
A lot of trade movement has been seen in recent times during the IPL off-season. Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) made an exchange of Sanju Samson and Ravindra Jadeja. Many franchises are working on trades to improve their squads ahead of the player retention deadline, which is November 15.
Mayank Markandey likely to join Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2026 auction
Mumbai Indians, who recently added Shardul Thakur, are now going to make another move. According to a Times of India report, the franchise has approached Kolkata Knight Riders to bring back leg-spinner Mayank Markandey, who made his IPL debut at the Wankhede Stadium for the first time.
MI has proposed an all-cash offer, talks on which are in the final stages. Markandey, who was bought by KKR for ₹30 lakh in the 2025 mega auction, did not feature in a single match in IPL 2025. The deal could be announced soon, and Markande could return to the team from where his IPL journey began seven years ago.
“The five-time title winners have approached Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for leg-spinner Mayank Markande, and it has been reliably learned that talks have reached the final stages. If all goes well, the trade could be announced soon,” the report said.
“It has not been confirmed at this stage whether any other players are involved in the deal, as insiders believe it may be an all-cash transaction.”
Mayank Markandey’s performance in the Indian Premier League
Mayank Markandey started his IPL career with Mumbai Indians in 2018. He took 15 wickets in 14 matches and got a chance to make his India T20I debut within a year. However, he played just one international match and struggled to get regular opportunities in the IPL.
The leg spinner played for several franchises over the next five seasons. He only featured in 23 more IPL games, but showed encouraging signs during his stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2023 and 2024.
Markandey is currently trying to rebuild his form and confidence through domestic cricket. In the current Ranji Trophy, he has taken three wickets in three matches at an economy rate of 2.96 and has also contributed 73 runs.
Mumbai Indians target Rahul Chahar amid talks for Mayank Markande
Mumbai Indians are not only in talks for Mayank Markande; They are also targeting another former spinner Rahul Chahar. Sunrisers Hyderabad bought him for ₹3.2 crore during the mega auction.
However, Chahar, who played only one match, struggled to impress the SRH management in both intra-squad games and during the season. Although the leg spinner has had previous success with the franchise, it is unclear whether any formal discussions were ever held with SRH.
MI already has two Indian wrist spinners in Vignesh Puthur and Karn Sharma, while Mitchell Santner and Will Jacks are playing the overseas spin role. The former champions are hoping to boost their spin-bowling attack.
Also read: Venkatesh Iyer defended himself, advocated for captaincy, indirectly hinted at the next IPL team.