IPL 2026: Irfan picks 12 MI players against KKR, leaves out Shardul
Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock open, followed by Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya. Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult lead the bowling attack
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will face off in the second match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 on Sunday. Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has selected his strongest 12 players for the five-time champions MI.
Mumbai Indians have already suffered two major setbacks ahead of this match. Two overseas players, Will Jacks and Mitchell Santner, will be unable to play in the team's first match.
Irfan Pathan has prioritized experience in the top order. He has selected Quinton de Kock to open alongside Rohit Sharma, while leaving out Ryan Rickelton. He also suggested that the team management avoid using Rohit as an "impact player," as his presence on the field is crucial for the captain and the team.
In the middle order, Pathan has placed young left-hander Tilak Varma at number three, followed by Suryakumar Yadav, captain of India's T20 World Cup-winning team in 2026, at number four. Captain Hardik Pandya has been placed at number five, providing both stability and aggression to the batting unit.
In the absence of Jaques, Pathan has backed Sherfane Rutherford for the number six role, while Naman Dheer has been picked as the finisher at number seven.
On the bowling front, Pathan has chosen a balanced attack. He has included young spinner Allah Ghazanfar along with leg-spinner Mayank Markande to handle the spin duties. In the fast bowling department, MI has a strong trio of Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, and Jasprit Bumrah, who are expected to play key roles, especially in the powerplay and death overs.
Irfan Pathan has left out all-rounder Shardul Thakur from his squad. Shardul joined the franchise from Lucknow Super Giants ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
Irfan Pathan's 12 players for Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Sherfane Rutherford, Naman Dheer, Ghazanfar/Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah.