IPL 2026: File photo of Mumbai Indians© BCCI
The last time the Mumbai Indians won the IPL, two teams that are currently part of the league – the Gujarat Titans and the Lucknow Super Giants – were not even in existence. The five-time champions secured their most recent title in 2020. Since then, MI have not been able to reach the final even once. During this period, the franchise has also undergone a captaincy change, with Rohit Sharma being replaced by Hardik Pandya.
The side boasts an incredibly explosive batting line-up. From the top order to the lower order, MI have several terrific players who can win a game single-handedly with the bat. Either Quinton de Kock or Ryan Rickelton is likely to open with Rohit Sharma, followed by the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Will Jacks, and Hardik Pandya. Uncapped batter Naman Dhir has also impressed with his striking ability over the past two seasons.
MI’s pace bowling attack is equally strong, with Jasprit Bumrah leading the pack. Bumrah is an all-format great, and his presence on the field, along with New Zealand’s Trent Boult – whose swing bowling has historically troubled opposition batters early in the innings – adds immense value.
However, AB de Villiers feels Boult has lost a bit of his sting in recent years.
“The one worry for me is Trent Boult. It’s similar to a Bhuvi situation, where he has lost a yard. He is not as spicy as he was from 2018 to 2020. He seems to be more expensive over the last while. MI probably feel they have a lot of insurance there, but maybe it’s a false sense of security. It could be an area some of the opposition batters will target,” he said on his YouTube channel.
MI will begin its IPL 2026 journey with a match against three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders on March 29.