Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians walk into the 2026 mini-auction with the kind of problem that keeps the recruitment teams active, a heavyweight core, but only INR 2.75 cr left to spend and five
slots to fill, including an overseas. They have already locked up 20 players, effectively betting on continuity around the Hardik Pandya-Jasprit Bumrah-Suryakumar Yadav-Rohit Sharma axis, with support acts like Ryan Rickelton, Will Jacks, Mitchell Santner, and Corbin Bosch proving their worth over the last cycle. The mini-auction isn’t about a splash, it’s about plugging specific gaps. Here are three players who the Hardik Pandya led Mumbai Indians can target in the upcoming IPL MINI Auction which will be held on December 16.
1.Quinton De Kock
Quinton De Kock has played 115 IPL matches for six teams and scored 3,309 runs at a strike-rate of 134 with two tons and 24 fifty-plus scores. Behind the stumps, he has 73 catches and 16 stumpings to his name. With Rickelton at the top out of form currently and Rohit in the final stretch of his career, MI cannot afford to be one injury away from rejigging their entire top order. A backup keeper who can bat in the top three is a strategic ploy. De Kock who has played for Mumbai Indians in the past fits into the team seamlessly. His recent century against India in ODI series shows that he is in good form.
2. Vignesh Puthur
On good batting tracks, Hardik plus Santner doesn’t feel enough across 14-17 games. MI need one more Indian spinner who can bowl in the middle overs and offer match-up flexibility. Vignesh Puthur did well for MI last season in the limited chances he got picking up six wickets in five match. The left arm chinaman bowler from Kerala can be a good pick for MI in the IPL MINI Auction.
3. KM Asif
KM Asif has played for CSK in the past and the right-arm seamer is in excellent form in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025–26, currently the highest wicket-taker with 15 wickets from six innings. Asif also boasts strong T20 credentials, having claimed 55 wickets from 42 innings. MI will monitor the Kerala pacer closely and his type of bowling may suit them at Wankhede Stadium
