MI IPL 2026 retention list: 5 players who are unlikely to make the cut

MI retention list [Source: @iplt20.com]

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is still months away, but the buzz has already started, especially when the tentative dates for the mini auction were revealed. According to the latest reports, the IPL 2026 auction will take place in the month of December, and all ten teams will need to submit their retention list by mid-November.

One team that desperately needs to sort out its retention list is the five-time champions, the Mumbai Indians. The team did manage to reach the playoffs last season, but they had considerable chinks in their armour, and they should look to offload such players. In this piece, we look at five underperforming players MI could release before the mini auction.

1) Deepak Chahar

MI went big in the IPL 2025 mega auction as they purchased former CSK star, Deepak Chahar, for a whopping 9.25 crore. MI expected wickets in the powerplay from him, but the injury-prone pacer was hardly effective as the team struggled for wickets up front.

(Deepak Chahar in IPL 2025)

• For CSK, Chahar used to pick wickets up front and was MS Dhoni’s biggest powerplay weapon. MI purchased him for the same reason, but despite playing almost all matches, he hardly left a positive impression, and by releasing him, MI would free up 9.25 crore.

2) Allah Ghazanfar

The Afghan mystery spinner was bought with a lot of hope, as there was considerable hype around him. However, his journey faded even before it could start, as he did not play a single match in the league due to an injury and was ruled out of the tournament.

Bought at INR 4.80 crore, MI wanted to make him their first choice spinner, but injury ruined their plans, as they turned their attention towards Mitch Santner, who occupied the spinners’ spot. With Santner now the first-choice spinner, MI could release Ghazanfar.

3) Reece Topley

The former RCB pacer was roped in by the Mumbai Indians to provide depth to their pace attack, but he only played a solitary game and conceded 40 runs. With Trent Boult, and Jasprit Bumrah leading the attack, MI could release the English star to groom a youngster, or they could enter the auction market to buy another proven fast bowler who can accompany Boult and Bumrah.

4) Karn Sharma

Over the years, the Mumbai Indians’ biggest weakness has been their spin attack, and there was a lot of hope when the franchise bought the experienced Karn Sharma. However, in the 2025 season, he was largely ineffective.

(Karn Sharma stats in IPL 2025)

• Just seven wickets in six games, with an economy of 8.53 sums up Karn Sharma’s IPL 2025 campaign. He struggled to take wickets in the middle overs, and if MI releases him, they can target a wicket-taking spinner for the middle phase.

5) Robin Minz

Bought for only 65 lakh, Robin Minz wasn’t given much of an opportunity as the wicket-keeper batter played only two games, but in those games, he had horrendous numbers.

(Minz numbers in IPL 2025)

• The MI batting is already stacked with superstars, and they could go in for a more reliable keeping option by releasing Minz.
• The batter looked undercooked, playing his first IPL season, and MI would look to get an upgrade in case they decide to part ways with Minz.

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