He has struck at 176.85 and picked up seven wickets in the tournament.
England all-rounder Will Jacks has lit up the T20 World Cup 2026 with his stunning performances. It begs the question if he has done enough to cement his place in the Mumbai Indians playing XI for IPL 2026.
Jacks, who was bought by the franchise for INR 5.25 crore in the 2025 auction, was retained for the upcoming edition. However, he will have strong competition for a spot this time from Sherfane Rutherford. As the team combination goes, only one of those can get into the Mumbai Indians playing XI unless they sacrifice the bowling quality. The Englishman’s form in the ongoing T20 World Cup gives him an edge.
The 27-year old has played a pivotal role in England reaching the semifinals of the ongoing ICC tournament. Jacks has earned the ‘Player of the Match’ award in four of the seven matches across the group stage and Super 8.
In the very first game against Nepal, he hammered a crucial 39* off 18 balls and picked up a wicket. They won that game by four runs. He was brutal in the must-win game against Italy, smashing 53* off just 22 deliveries to power England to Super 8.
Against Sri Lanka, Jacks struck 21 off 14 and then claimed 3 for 22 to turn the game. On Friday, he delivered yet another top performance against New Zealand. The off-spinner took 2 for 23 in four overs to help England pull things back after the Black Caps had gotten off to a great start. Chasing 160, they found themselves in a critical situation but Jacks struck an unbeaten 32 off 18 to see his side over the line.
Overall, Will Jacks has scored 191 runs in the T20 World Cup 2026 at an excellent strike rate of 176.85. He has also taken seven wickets with his bowling. Only Shane Watson and Sikandar Raza have bettered this tally in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. And only Watson has won four ‘Player of the Match’ awards. All things considered, it has been a sensational campaign from Jacks so far.
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With a tournament like this in his favour, one would assume Will Jacks will be a certainty in the Mumbai Indians playing XI. However, things are not as straightforward. The competition in the MI overseas roster looks pretty tight as most of them have been in great form.
Jacks’ biggest competition for the spot is Rutherford, who has been batting like a dream and provides that lower order power-hitting. He has scored 494 runs in T20 cricket this year, averaging 70 while striking at nearly 170.
Mumbai Indians had traded Rutherford from Gujarat Titans to address the lower middle order issue. But with Jacks flourishing in the same role, they are likely to lean towards the English star as he provides that additional off-spin option.
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