Mumbai Indians (MI) are set to begin their hunt for the sixth title with their opening fixture of the IPL 2026 on March 29. However, just two days away from the kick off, a few of their key players are yet to join the squad, which has affected their preparations for the tournament.
The five-time champions will be aiming to end their trophy drought, having last won the title back in 2020. They came close last year, reaching Qualifier 2 before getting knocked out by Punjab Kings. The side, led by Hardik Pandya, will start again with new enthusiasm.
However, the late arrivals of three key stars has put a slight dampener on their preparations. New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner, England all-rounder Will Jacks, and their most valuable asset Jasprit Bumrah are yet to join the team.
𝐊𝐚𝐮𝐧? 𝐊𝐚𝐛? 𝐊𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐚𝐧? 😅
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) March 26, 2026
Paltan, our #TATAIPL 2026 fixtures have dropped! 💙 pic.twitter.com/nZrJrQbYTB
All three were granted permission to join late after a hectic international schedule. But going by their social media updates, there are no signs of any of them with the team. With just two days remaining for the opening game, it has raised some eyebrows.
Bumrah had recently checked in at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE). That raised concerns over his fitness and availability but the premier pacer is set to play the season opener for MI. According to the reports, Bumrah reported to the CoE for workload management, to work on his strength and conditioning.
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As for Santner and Jacks, there is no word on their expected arrival date. Santner is the frontline spinner for the team, and his unavailability would affect their playing combination. They have AM Ghazanfar as the back-up spinner, who could get a game or two in the Kiwi’s absence.
Jacks had an incredible T20 World Cup campaign for England, where he won four ‘Player of the Match’ awards for his all-round show. He scored 226 runs from eight games at a strike rate of 176 and picked up nine wickets. He is expected to play a key role in the Mumbai Indians playing XI. If he doesn’t arrive in time, the team has another solid player for the finishing role in Sherfane Rutherford, who has been in excellent form.
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