Mumbai Indians to miss Mitchell Santner, Will Jacks for IPL 2026 Opener vs KKR
IPL 2026: Mitchell Santner and Will Jacks are likely to miss MI's IPL 2026 opener. Their absence could impact team balance early in the season.
Mumbai Indians could be without two key overseas players at the start of IPL 2026, with Mitchell Santner and Will Jacks likely to miss their season opener against Kolkata Knight Riders. According to a report by ESPN Cricinfo, the duo, along with MI pace ace Jasprit Bumrah were absent from the team’s mandatory training session at the Wankhede Stadium just days before the clash.
Santner, who recently led New Zealand to the T20 World Cup final, had been involved in a five-match T20I series against South Africa. He featured in the first three games before being rested for the final two, with New Zealand eventually losing the series 3-2. While he is expected to link up with the MI squad soon, his arrival in India is yet to be confirmed.
Jacks, meanwhile, remains unavailable due to personal reasons and could take longer to join the squad. The England all-rounder was one of the standout performers in the T20 World Cup, playing a key role in their run to the semi-finals, where they lost to India at Wankhede.
The absence of both players could impact MI’s balance early in the tournament. Santner offers control and experience with the ball, while Jacks adds firepower in the lower middle order along with useful overs. With limited like-for-like options, MI may have to reshuffle their combination for the opening game.
WHO CAN REPLACE SANTNER AND WILL JACKS?
Mumbai Indians do have some, if not many options to cover for the potential absentees.
For Santner, MI could turn to Allah Ghazanfar, the young Afghanistan spinner who offers a similar skillset and could provide control in the middle overs.
In place of Jacks, Sherfane Rutherford is a strong option. The all-rounder, who joined MI from Gujarat Titans, brings power-hitting ability and can slot into the lower middle order role.
Santner had a solid T20 World Cup campaign, scoring 120 runs in eight matches at a strike rate above 140, while also contributing with the ball. Jacks, on the other hand, played a crucial role for England with both bat and ball, earning four Player of the Match awards and picking up nine wickets during the tournament.
With their IPL 2026 campaign set to begin at home, MI will hope for clarity on the duo’s availability soon. For now, the focus will be on adjusting the playing XI and ensuring they start the season strongly despite the early setback.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
Mumbai Indians could be without two key overseas players at the start of IPL 2026, with Mitchell Santner and Will Jacks likely to miss their season opener against Kolkata Knight Riders. According to a report by ESPN Cricinfo, the duo, along with MI pace ace Jasprit Bumrah were absent from the team’s mandatory training session at the Wankhede Stadium just days before the clash.
Santner, who recently led New Zealand to the T20 World Cup final, had been involved in a five-match T20I series against South Africa. He featured in the first three games before being rested for the final two, with New Zealand eventually losing the series 3-2. While he is expected to link up with the MI squad soon, his arrival in India is yet to be confirmed.
Jacks, meanwhile, remains unavailable due to personal reasons and could take longer to join the squad. The England all-rounder was one of the standout performers in the T20 World Cup, playing a key role in their run to the semi-finals, where they lost to India at Wankhede.
The absence of both players could impact MI’s balance early in the tournament. Santner offers control and experience with the ball, while Jacks adds firepower in the lower middle order along with useful overs. With limited like-for-like options, MI may have to reshuffle their combination for the opening game.
WHO CAN REPLACE SANTNER AND WILL JACKS?
Mumbai Indians do have some, if not many options to cover for the potential absentees.
For Santner, MI could turn to Allah Ghazanfar, the young Afghanistan spinner who offers a similar skillset and could provide control in the middle overs.
In place of Jacks, Sherfane Rutherford is a strong option. The all-rounder, who joined MI from Gujarat Titans, brings power-hitting ability and can slot into the lower middle order role.
Santner had a solid T20 World Cup campaign, scoring 120 runs in eight matches at a strike rate above 140, while also contributing with the ball. Jacks, on the other hand, played a crucial role for England with both bat and ball, earning four Player of the Match awards and picking up nine wickets during the tournament.
With their IPL 2026 campaign set to begin at home, MI will hope for clarity on the duo’s availability soon. For now, the focus will be on adjusting the playing XI and ensuring they start the season strongly despite the early setback.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
