Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Shivam Mavi has his eyes set on a return to the Indian Premier League (IPL), having not featured in the league in the past three seasons. Notably, the talented speedster had gone unsold at the mega-auction last time around with his last match in IPL coming back in 2022 with KKR.
In 2023, he was picked up by the Gujarat Titans (GT) but did not get to feature in any game before being forced to pull out due to a rib injury in IPL 2024 after the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) acquired him at the auction. He was close to being roped in by LSG for last season too due to injury concerns to their domestic pacers but their early recoveries meant Mavi remained as a net bowler.
However, the 27-year-old is now hopeful of finding a buyer at the IPL 2026 auction, on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, after having worked on his action and remained injury-free for a considerable period while clocking consistent high speeds.
Speaking about the work he has put in, Mavi said to TOI, “At first, I was wondering why I was getting injured. So I worked on my action in the off-season. I fixed the side flexion because of which I was getting injured. You will see that since last year, I have been able to play regularly because I have worked a lot on my action.”
He added, “This year, in all the matches I’ve played, I’ve been bowling around 140–142. In the UPT20 league, I was clocking 140, 142, 143. It depends on recovery. If I don’t recover well, the body isn’t as fast. But this year, I am bowling quicker than last year. There is no compromise on speed.”
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Making headlines from his U19 days with his incredible promise, Mavi is now looking to write a new chapter in his career after undergoing specific work to improve. For the unversed, Shivam Mavi belongs to an extremely talented batch of players, including team India regulars Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Shubman Gill, Riyan Parag, and Prithvi Shaw, who have played together in the U19 World Cup 2018.
Mavi is now ready to bounce back after being riddled by injuries and his form in 2025 serves as a testament to his mettle. He finished as the top wicket-taker of the UP T20 League 2025 earlier this year with 22 wickets in just 10 matches, averaging an impressive 14.27. The right-hand batter has also amassed 94 runs in the tournament, striking at a stupendous 223.81, the highest for a player with five-plus innings.
In the ongoing Ranji Trophy too, Mavi has been impressive, snaring 10 wickets in four games while taking six wickets in seven games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT 2025).
With renewed pace and confidence, Mavi, who has also played six T20Is for India, will be hoping he finds a suitor when the paddle goes up in the IPL 2026 auction.
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