Mumbai Indians had a super quiet auction this year surprisingly. The five-time champions picked only five new players total. Their strategy focused on keeping the core team together.
The IPL 2026 mini-auction happened in Abu Dhabi on December 16, 2025. A total of 369 cricketers went under the hammer. Most franchises went crazy bidding but the Mumbai Indians stayed calm.
MI completed their squad without spending big money anywhere. They have no player slots left now after finalising everything. The team’s remaining purse shows just Rs 55 lakh left.
Quinton de Kock Returns
The biggest signing was Quinton de Kock at a bargain price honestly. Mumbai Indians grabbed the South African wicketkeeper for Rs 1 crore only. That’s incredibly cheap for someone with his international experience.
De Kock was the only capped player MI bought in this auction. His price tag shocked many cricket experts watching live. He’s played IPL before and knows Indian conditions perfectly.
The players list shows smart spending rather than flashy purchases. MI trust their scouting system for finding value deals. Experienced campaigners at low prices win championships sometimes.
Uncapped Stars Join Squad
Danish Malewar, Mohammad Izhar, Atharva Ankolekar, and Mayank Rawat complete the squad. These four uncapped cricketers bring fresh energy to training camps. Their combined amount stayed well under the budget limits set.
Young Indian talent gets opportunities through these mini-auction picks always. The franchise believes in developing homegrown players for future seasons. Names of uncapped signings show faith in domestic cricket systems.
Mumbai Indians 2026 squad values youth alongside proven stars. Mixing experience with potential creates balanced team dynamics usually. These uncapped players could surprise everyone during the tournament.
Retained and Traded Stars
Captain Hardik Pandya leads the retained players list for 2026. Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma stay with MI. Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult anchor the bowling attack together.
Sherfane Rutherford joined via trade from Gujarat Titans recently. Mayank Markande came from the Kolkata Knight Riders through another trade. Shardul Thakur arrived from Lucknow Super Giants completing trade deals.
| Player Name | Price | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Jasprit Bumrah | ₹18 Crore | Retained |
| Hardik Pandya | ₹16.35 Crore | Retained |
| Suryakumar Yadav | ₹16.35 Crore | Retained |
| Rohit Sharma | ₹16.3 Crore | Retained |
| Tilak Varma | ₹8 Crore | Retained |
| Naman Dhir | ₹5.25 Crore | Retained |
| Trent Boult | ₹12.5 Crore | Retained |
| Deepak Chahar | ₹9.25 Crore | Retained |
| Will Jacks | ₹5.25 Crore | Retained |
| AM Ghazanfar | ₹4.8 Crore | Retained |
| Mitchell Santner | ₹2 Crore | Retained |
| Quinton de Kock | ₹1 Crore | Auction |
| Ryan Rickelton | ₹1 Crore | Retained |
| Corbin Bosch | ₹75 Lakh | Retained |
| Robin Minz | ₹65 Lakh | Retained |
| Ashwani Kumar | ₹30 Lakh | Retained |
| Raghu Sharma | ₹30 Lakh | Retained |
| Raj Angad Bawa | ₹30 Lakh | Retained |
| Danish Malewar | ₹30 Lakh | Auction |
| Mohammad Izhar | ₹30 Lakh | Auction |
| Atharva Ankolekar | ₹30 Lakh | Auction |
| Mayank Rawat | ₹30 Lakh | Auction |
| Sherfane Rutherford | — | Traded |
| Mayank Markande | — | Traded |
| Shardul Thakur | — | Traded |
The price spent on trades doesn’t appear in auction budgets. Mumbai Indians used trades smartly to strengthen their squad depth. Team management built a complete 25-player roster without auction drama.
No overseas slots remain available for MI currently. The stars in their squad fill every possible spot allowed. The list shows MI planned their team building strategy months ahead.
