MI 2026 Retentions: Released, Retained & Trade Players List Ahead of IPL 2026 Auction

Published - 15 Nov 2025, 13:41 IST | Updated - 15 Nov 2025, 19:38 IST

The five-time champions, Mumbai Indians, have already created significant headlines through early trades and are hoping to end their trophy drought as they enter the IPL 2026.

The 2025 season saw the team make it to Qualifier 2. Their season displayed flashes of vintage Mumbai Indians cricket. However, gaps in spin depth, middle-order stability, and death-over concerns were evident, leading to the decisions the franchise has taken ahead of the mini-auction.

One of the biggest developments so far has been MI’s early activity in the trade window. The franchise brought back leg-spinner Mayank Markande from KKR, a player who began his IPL career with Mumbai. They strengthened their all-around department by securing Shardul Thakur from Lucknow Super Giants. The return of Sherfane Rutherford from the Gujarat Titans is set to add firepower to the middle-order. On the outgoing front, MI parted ways with bowling all-rounder Arjun Tendulkar, who moved to LSG as part of an early transfer.

Naturally, a large part of the conversation heading into retention day was around MI’s Indian core, historically the backbone of their success. The futures of Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Tilak Varma have been the central talking points. Given their impact, these names continue to feature in their retained list.

Among overseas players, names like Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, and Ryan Rickelton will be staying, considering their roles in the 2025 campaign and the balance they bring to the squad. At the same time, MI has let go of nine players.

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