Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra reckons Mumbai Indians don’t have much scope for a change for IPL 2026. Chopra noted that the five-time champions missed a quality spinner in their bowling attack towards the fag end of IPL 2025 but that problem would be solved when Allah Ghazanfar will be fit for the next season.
The renowned commentator highlighted that MI captain Hardik Pandya didn’t properly use the services of Mitchell Santner. MI’s season ended when they suffered a loss against Punjab Kings in the second qualifier.
“I feel there is no scope for change now either. As soon as Allah Ghazanfar gets fit, he will seamlessly fit in, because, at one stage, it seemed like you weren’t using Mitchell Santner properly. You didn’t have that much confidence and you didn’t have a second spin option,” Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
“Suddenly, towards the end, we felt that they were one spinner short. They weren’t playing Karn Sharma regularly. They were playing Santner but weren’t making him bowl. It means you were missing a gun spinner, and Allah Ghazanfar is one. I feel things will change with him coming in,” he added.
On the other hand, Chopra said MI has a quality pace battery but they might release Reece Topley ahead of IPL 2026 mini auction.
“There will be a question for sure whether the squad can be made better. I feel a little more work can be done on fast bowling. They have Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah. Ashwani Kumar did a good job, but they didn’t have a fifth pacer. Reece Topley will have to be released. You will keep Corbin Bosch,” he said.
The commentator added MI would look to retain Jonny Bairstow along with Ryan Rickelton as overseas wicket-keeper bat.
“I feel they will try to keep Jonny Bairstow as well. You get another option with Ryan Rickelton at the start. If no one retires and everyone continues playing, I don’t feel there is much scope for change. They will try to make the fast-bowling attack slightly stronger from an Indian standpoint. Allah Ghazanfar will change the fortunes of this team,” Chopra observed.
It would be interesting to note which players MI would retain and release before the next auction.
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