In third place, after they won eight games out of 14 in the group stage to secure a late berth in the playoffs. They knocked out Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator, but lost to Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2.
What’s new in IPL 2026
MI have been desperate in their search for a sixth IPL title. That might sound like a complaint about their lobster being too buttery for a team that is joint-most successful in the tournament. However, they haven’t reached a final since their last triumph in 2020.
The mega auction after that title win broke up what was arguably the most space-age squad ever assembled in the IPL. Squint, though, and you can see shades of that batch in their current squad, which is the most stable they have entered a season with in years. Quinton de Kock was one of only five purchases they made at the auction, restoring him at the top of the order alongside Rohit Sharma for the first time since 2021. Trent Boult has been back in the blue jersey since last season and will form a formidable partnership with Jasprit Bumrah.
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Yet, this squad differs in key ways from the class of 2020. Hardik Pandya was booed by sections of fans when he replaced five-time title-winning captain Rohit in 2023, but he has since won over the crowds by leading the team into the playoffs last season. Back then, Krunal Pandya, Hardik and Kieron Pollard formed the engine room of MI’s batting. Now, Tilak Varma, already a World Cup winner, and the big-hitting Naman Dhir join Hardik in ushering MI into a new era, along with the new recruit Sherfane Rutherford, who they traded in before the auction.
Who’s out, who’s in doubt?
For once, MI head into an IPL season with all their players fit and raring to go: Bumrah being available right from the beginning of the season might be vital to their chances for a quick start off the blocks.
However, Hardik, Tilak and Bumrah head into this IPL after playing consistently in the months-long build-up to the T20 World Cup. Bumrah missed just one match at the T20 World Cup while Tilak and Hardik featured in all. MI will be hoping no niggles flare up for them during the tournament.
Likely best XII
1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Quinton de Kock* (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Hardik Pandya (capt), 6 Naman Dhir, 7 Sherfane Rutherford/Mitchell Santner*, 8 Shardul Thakur/Deepak Chahar, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Ashwani Kumar/Mayank Markande, 11 AM Ghazanfar*, 12 Trent Boult*
*denotes overseas pick
Big questionWatch out for
MI’s Indian bowling options – in both pace and spin – was among their weakest in recent years, despite the presence of Bumrah and Boult last season. How they fill that gap remains to be seen because again they did not buy a big-name spinner in the auction.
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Another conundrum for them is how to fit de Kock in the XI. They picked him at his base price of INR 1 crore at the auction, and he has won two titles with them, in 2019 and 2020, when he racked up successive 500-plus run seasons. However, complicating the equation is Ryan Rickelton, the incumbent MI opener, who bashed 388 runs at a strike rate of 150.97 for them last season, and might feel hard done if he is relegated to the bench for de Kock.
Rickelton and de Kock both had middling campaigns in the recent T20 World Cup, in conditions similar to what they will face in the IPL. So, with not much to write home about in their recent form, will MI go for experience over incumbency?
Key stats
Rohit has transformed from an anchor at the top into a powerplay aggressor for MI. Being freed from the need to bat through the innings has, ironically, produced two of his best recent seasons. He hadn’t crossed 400 runs in a season between 2021 and 2023, scoring 981 runs at a strike rate of 127, and hitting just three fifties. However, he has rediscovered his range in the last two years: he compiled 417 runs at a strike rate of 150 in 2024, and 418 at 149.29 in 2025.
There is a case to be made that Bumrah had his greatest IPL season in 2025. Despite missing the first four matches, he took 18 wickets in 12 games at a remarkable economy rate of 6.68. In contrast, the rest of the MI bowlers went at an economy of 9.20. Bumrah was used largely in the middle and death overs, and if his World Cup form is anything to go by, batters will be even more wary when he runs in.
Last year, MI had only three fifty-plus partnerships in 16 innings, which included Rohit combining at the top with Rickelton, as well as replacement player Jonny Bairstow in the playoffs. If they are looking for bigger starts up top, they might be even more tempted to bring in de Kock.