Five-time champions Mumbai Indians have a lot of decisions to make ahead of the next mini-auction to be held on 16th December 2026. The last few years have been terrible for the franchise after the highs that they saw in the 2010s. In the last three seasons, the side has finished at the bottom of the table twice.
Newly appointed head coach Kieron Pollard will be keen to make space for new signings ahead of the new season. Some of the players may have to be released ahead of the 17th November 2026 deadline.
Another key factor will be the new captain. It is believed that Rohit Sharma could be back at the helm. If the veteran batter does take over, then he may want cricketers who would fit his vision and make the Men in Blue and Gold a champion outfit once more.
Here are the top five players Mumbai Indians could release
5- Mayank Markande
The 28-year-old from Punjab has had a journeyman career ever since his debut with MI in 2018. Last year he played three games and didn’t pick any wickets before being asked to warm the benches. Markande hasn’t managed to reach the heights that he showed in his debut season, which got him a spot in the Indian side a year later.
4- Danish Malewar
The 23-year-old batter made his entry in domestic cricket with a lot of promise when he played a few match-winning knocks for Vidarbha. That prompted Mumbai to play him after being picked in the auction last year for INR 30 Lakh. The youngster managed to play just two games and scored two runs, and could be one of the players released ahead of the next auction.
3- Robin Minz
Despite having the reputation of being a big-hitting batter in domestic cricket, the 24-year-old Robin Minz hasn’t been able to showcase the same in the IPL. He was purchased for INR 65 lakh ahead of the 2025 season, and since then he has played just four games and scored 12 runs. Ambani-owned franchise might want to cut costs and part ways with the Jharkhand star.
2- Deepak Chahar
Once a feared IPL new-ball bowler, Deepak Chahar was a key member for Chennai and helped them win two titles. He moved to Mumbai Indians ahead of the 2025 season for INR 9.25 crore, but he hasn’t been able to impress. The 34-year-old has played 22 games for the former champions, taking 19 wickets. The potency with the new ball seems to be waning, and his constant injury issues have been a problem for a while now.
1- Trent Boult
New Zealand’s legendary pacer Trent Boult has been a massive performer for whichever side he played in his heyday. The 37-year-old was purchased by the franchise for INR 12.5 crore ahead of the 2025 season, in which he picked up 22 scalps from 16 games. Last year, he played just five games and ended up with two wickets in his kitty. The decision-makers would have to make the difficult choice of parting ways with the seamer ahead of the new season, with age slowly catching up with the player and also due to his performances.