IPL 2026 Mumbai Indians (MI) Strongest Possible Playing 11 Team

With Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton set to open, explore the strongest playing 11 for the Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of the IPL 2026 Mini Auction. 

The 5-time IPL Champions, and one of the most famous teams in the Indian Premier League Universe, the Mumbai Indians have begun the IPL 2026 season with a bang. Always known for trusting the core group of players for a few years at least, the Mumbai Indians seem to have built on their IPL 2025 legacy, where they built their team from scratch, and managed to qualify for the Playoffs with their consistent team performance.

So, if there is one team that looks almost complete on paper even before the IPL 2026 Mini Auction, it is the Mumbai Indians. The team has retained a solid 20 players before the Auction, and unsurprisingly, they have only 2.75 Cr left with them for the Auction. Needless to say, the team looks almost perfect from all angles, and they will mostly focus on adding 2-3 backup players on the side, including one Overseas player.

Given that the Mumbai Indians have almost a near-final squad for IPL 2026, their playing 11 is also almost final for the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League. So, even as we wait for the IPL 2026 Mini Auction, we can analyse the current retained squad and players list, and look at the strongest possible playing 11 for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 ahead of the Mini Auction. 

Mumbai Indians (MI) Retained Squad SWOT Analysis for IPL 2026

Before we get into the discussion on the playing 11, let’s review the current retained squad list for the Mumbai Indians (MI), and identify the gaps they have, if any. As we know, the Mumbai Indians had retained 20 players ahead of the Auction, and this includes 7 Overseas players. MI also traded in Shardul Thakur, Mayank Markande, and Sherfane Rutherford in an all-cash deal, thus strengthening their squad further. They now have just 2.75 Cr available with them, which they will use to buy 2-3 backups.

From the batter’s point of view, the Mumbai Indians currently have Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Sherfane Rutherford. Among wicket-keepers, MI have Robin Minz and Ryan Rickelton. Among All-rounders, the Mumbai Indians have Corbin Bosch, Hardik Pandya, and Raj Bawa as pace All-rounders. Whereas among spin All-rounders, the Mumbai Indians have Mitchell Santner, Naman Dhir, and Will Jacks.

Finally, among bowlers, MI have Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar, and Shardul Thakur among pacers. Whereas among spinners, the Mumbai Indians have Allah Ghazanfar, Raghu Sharma, and Mayank Markande. So, overall, the Mumbai Indians look almost perfect with specialised players in almost all categories. So, the one thing MI shall do in the Auction is buy a backup Wicket-keeper, backup All-rounder, and Backup pacer.

Mumbai Indians (MI) Final Retained Players List for IPL 2026

Batters

• Rohit Sharma
• Sherfane Rutherford (os&t)
• Suryakumar Yadav
• Tilak Varma

Wks

• Robin Minz
• Ryan Rickelton (os)

All-rounders

• Corbin Bosch (os)
• Hardik Pandya (c)
• Mitchell Santner (os)
• Naman Dhir
• Raj Bawa
• Will Jacks (os)

Bowlers

• Allah Ghazanfar (os)
• Ashwani Kumar
• Deepak Chahar
• Jasprit Bumrah
• Mayank Markande (t)
• Raghu Sharma
• Shardul Thakur (t)
• Trent Boult (os)

Total Players Retained: 20 // Overseas Slots Available: 1 // Purse Available: 2.75 Cr

Now, let’s talk about the strongest playing 11 of the Mumbai Indians for IPL 2026. Starting with the batting lineup, the MI team shall almost replicate the lineup that we had seen in IPL 2025. Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton shall open the innings. The Middle-order shall comprise Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Will Jacks, and we will mostly see a floating middle-order depending on the situation. This is a solid top 5, and it has also seen success, as seen from IPL 2025 performances. 

Coming to the finishers, MI will once again see two solid names, Hardik Pandya and Naman Dhir, at 6 and 7, respectively. This is a solid top 7, with hardly any weak links there. With such a solid top 7, the Mumbai Indians can afford to play Allah Ghazanfar, Deepak Chahar, and Shardul Thakur at 8,9, and 10 – thus giving the Mumbai Indians attacking options towards the death. This also makes sure the Mumbai Indians have 5 proper bowlers in the squad, and all-rounders in addition.

Coming to the bowling lineup, the Mumbai Indians team will see Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult as the leaders of the pace attack, with support from Hardik Pandya, Deepak Chahar, and Shardul Thakur. Thus, the Mumbai Indians shall play 5 proper pacers. If MI decide to rest Trent Boult, they can then play both Mitchell Santner and Allah Ghazanfar together. This will be helpful on spin-friendly wickets like Chennai.

IPL 2026 Mumbai Indians (MI) Pre-Auction Strongest Playing 11

1. Rohit Sharma
2. Ryan Rickelton (wk)
3. Suryakumar Yadav
4. Tilak Varma
5. Will Jacks
6. Hardik Pandya (c)
7. Naman Dhir
8. Shardul Thakur 
9. Deepak Chahar
10. Allah Ghazanfar
11. Jasprit Bumrah
12. Trent Boult – Impact Player

So, that’s about the strongest playing 11 for the Mumbai Indians (MI) for IPL 2026. This is a stronger playing 11 as compared to what we had seen in IPL 2025. The addition of Shardul Thakur and the rise of Naman Dhir and Tilak Varma make it a strong playing 11. MI also have the flexibility to rest Boult, and play both Santner and Ghazanfar together – this gives them a great combination for spin-friendly pitches.

Thanks for reading! Looking at the IPL 2026 playing 11 for the Mumbai Indians, does it look the strongest? Please email your thoughts to business@cricalytics.com, or mention them in the comments section below. 

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