Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan revealed his Mumbai Indians playing XII for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. Notably, the cricket expert left out Indian pacer Shardul Thakur, South Africa opener Ryan Rickelton, and England all-rounder Will Jacks from the Mumbai Indians lineup.
The IPL 2026 will begin in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 28. Mumbai Indians will start their campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium the following day. Hardik Pandya led the five-time champions to the playoffs in 2025 before losing to Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 2.
Irfan Pathan Picks Mumbai Indians Playing XII for IPL 2026
In a video shared on his YouTube channel on Thursday, March 19, Irfan Pathan picked his Mumbai Indians playing XII. He backed veteran Rohit Sharma and South African star Quinton de Kock to open the innings for the Mumbai Indians in the upcoming tournament.
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Following the opening pair, the former all-rounder selected a middle order featuring recent T20 World Cup 2026 stars. He named Tilak Varma at number three, followed by T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav and skipper Hardik Pandya at number five.
Pathan noted that the Mumbai Indians management might face a tough choice between Sherfane Rutherford and Will Jacks. He backed the explosive English all-rounder for the number six role, while placing Naman Dhir in the finisher’s position at number seven.
Pathan picked a bowling attack with three frontline pacers, including Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, and Trent Boult. He selected Afghanistan’s Allah Ghazanfar as the lone specialist spinner.
For the Impact Player rule, the Baroda cricketer picked leg-spinner Mayank Markande over veteran Shardul Thakur to complete his 12-man squad.
Irfan Pathan’s MI Playing 12 for IPL 2026:
Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Will Jacks, Naman Dhir, Deepak Chahar, Allah Ghazanfar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah. Impact Player: Mayank Markande.
Indian Core Will Be Extremely Impressive – Irfan Pathan Backs Mumbai Indians’ Strength
During the same video, Irfan Pathan said that the Indian core remains the biggest strength of Mumbai Indians. He emphasized that they will enter the tournament with confidence after delivering match-winning performances for India during the T20 World Cup 2026.
“Suryakumar Yadav, the World Cup-winning captain, is in this team. Jasprit Bumrah, who was close to the Man of the Tournament title and the player who won the Man of the Match in the final, is in solid form in your team,” Pathan said.
“Hardik Pandya, the all-rounder, is also in your team as captain, along with Tilak Varma, who has played multiple roles and is part of your squad as well. The Indian core, which is their strength, will be extremely impressive. The confidence after winning the World Cup will be visible in them as they step onto the field.”
After their opener, Mumbai Indians will face Delhi Capitals (DC) in Delhi on April 4. They will then travel to Guwahati to play against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 7, before returning home to take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 12.
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