Indian Premier League (IPL) heavyweights Mumbai Indians suffered yet another agonizing season. Men in Blue and Gold finished ninth in the points with just four wins from 14 games. In fact, the five-time winners had just two wins each at home and away this IPL 2026 season. Their only home wins came against Kolkata Knight Riders in the first game of the season and against a struggling Lucknow Super Giants later in the campaign.
Sunrisers Hyderabad easily chased down the 244-run target to record their best chase in the league in front of a shocked crowd at the Wankhede Stadium. After such a bad season, the owners have gotten down to the post-mortem. Some huge decisions will be taken, and one of them could be the captaincy of Hardik Pandya.
The 32-year-old, in his three seasons as MI skipper, has led them to the playoffs just once. There are also reports that the all-rounder has reportedly told the side that he wants to leave after a disastrous campaign. Questions will also be asked about other players who didn’t perform well this season as the team looks for a massive overhaul ahead of the IPL 2027 season.
The season also saw the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah struggle for form with the bat and ball. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, began the campaign well before it was derailed by a hamstring injury that saw the former skipper miss the majority of the games before his return just before the season ended.
Here are the three players Mumbai Indians must release after IPL 2026
Deepak Chahar
The veteran seamer was signed on during the IPL 2025 auctions after his successful stint with the Chennai Super Kings previously. Deepak Chahar managed to pick just eight wickets this season from eight games with an economy rate of above 10 runs per over. The 33-year-old may not be part of the Mumbai Indians’ plans after his below-par showings in the last two years. Constant injuries also haven’t helped the pacer who holds India’s best bowling figures in T20I cricket.
Trent Boult
Former New Zealand pacer Trent Boult had a season to forget with the ball in hand, claiming just two wickets from five games. The 36-year-old is a favourite to be let go ahead of the IPL 2027 auction after his poor stint this season. Boult, who is known for his lethal swing with the new ball, was a shell of his former self. After some underwhelming performances, the team management decided to bench the pacer. His last game of the season was against Chennai, where he conceded 37 runs without picking a wicket after bowling 19 balls in the game.
Hardik Pandya
Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya rolled into the 2026 season after playing a huge role in the T20 World Cup win for the national side. By the time the season ended, it was an open secret that the player was looking to part ways with his side for a second time. His post of 07:07 on social media started IPL transfer rumours about his potential switch to CSK. With the Mumbai Indians squad rebuild on the way, Hardik isn’t likely to figure in the team’s plans for the future, with 206 runs with the bat and just four wickets with the ball.
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