Krish Bhagat has yet to make his T20 debut.
Who is Krish Bhagat? This has been a major query among viewers since Mumbai Indians (MI) announced him as a replacement player for Atharva Ankolekar in IPL 2026. Ankolekar was ruled out of the tournament due to a meniscus tear he sustained in the Ranji Trophy.
Krish Bhagat is an all-rounder from Punjab who bowls right-arm medium pace and is a handy lower-order batter. The 21-year-old has yet to make his T20 debut, even though he has represented Punjab in First Class and List A cricket. His First Class debut came in October 2024, and he debuted in List A format in December last year.
Overall, he has played seven red-ball games, where he has seven wickets at 36 runs apiece in eight innings. Additionally, Krish has 145 runs at an average of 18.12 in 10 FC outings with the willow. In List A cricket, he has nine wickets at an average of 29.55, even though his economy rate (6.11) has been slightly high, and a fifty as a batter.
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He suffered a career-threatening spinal cord injury during the initial years of his career. However, the all-rounder made a solid comeback with intense rehabilitation and commitment. Since then, he has made impactful performances with both bat and ball across age-group tournaments.
In the Cooch Behar Trophy 2023-24, Krish Bhagat scored 506 runs at an average of 72.29 in 10 innings, including two fifties and as many centuries. Moreover, he took 30 wickets at 17.30 runs apiece in 10 outings in the Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy, 2024, with three five-wicket hauls. In the next edition of the same tournament, the pacer took 16 wickets at an average of 31.37 in 11 innings, with a four-wicket haul.
Krish Bhagat was part of RCB as a net bowler last season, where the team won its maiden IPL trophy. He also worked with Mumbai Indians before the start of IPL 2026. The all-rounder reportedly impressed the think-tank during the pre-season camp, which resulted in his selection.
Krish also represented the Reliance team at the DY Patil Tournament 2026, though he made minimal contributions. The main reason for his acquisition was his natural attributes. He’s a lanky speedster who seems to bowl those hard lengths and generates additional bounce with a high-arm release point.
From whatever footage is available, Krish seems to be bowling at a deceptive pace and can also move the ball. These are encouraging initial impressions for a young fast bowler. Then, his batting value makes him all the more valuable as a player.
At the moment, Krish Bhagat might not be a first-choice option for Mumbai Indians, but he can get some chances later in the tournament. They are likely to stick with Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar in this department. However, Krish will have a chance to develop and become more formidable as an all-rounder at MI.
He will get to work with the likes of Hardik Pandya, which will help him take rapid strides in his career. MI have always invested in such raw players and would hope he becomes a match-winner in future. A lot will obviously depend on how well he progresses, and the franchise would want him to gain enough exposure before unleashing.
Krish Bhagat has impressive attributes, and Mumbai Indians would want him to develop enough since those will be handy at the Wankhede Stadium. If things go well, he could well take the spots currently occupied by Chahar and Shardul in the main XI in the subsequent season. For now, he might warm the bench and focus on honing his skills under skilled management at MI.
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