The five-time champions, the Mumbai Indians (MI) Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign, have been divided into two halves. Like always, MI began their IPL campaign with four defeats in the first five matches before emerging victorious in the next six on the bounce. The Men in Blue and Gold thrashed the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the eliminator before losing to the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the qualifier 2. As a result, the Mumbai Indians failed to reach the final again.
While the franchise saw many exceptional performances, there were a few players who couldn’t live up to the expectations. After a hot and cold 2025 season, the Hardik Pandya-led side will fine-tune their squad and are likely to release a few big names to free up budget. Here’s a look at three MI players who might lose their IPL contracts and will enter the IPL 2026 auction.
Will Jacks arrived in the team with much hype and a jaw-dropping amount of ₹5.25 crores. The England all-rounder struggled to justify his value and had a modest IPL 2025 season. Jacks did a decent job with the ball in hand. The right-arm off-spinner picked up just six wickets in the entire tournament, averaging 20.
But Jacks was also quite inconsistent in the batting department. The 26-year-old began at no. 3 but was eventually demoted to no. 6 following a series of poor performances. The right-hand batter managed just 233 runs in 11 matches, averaging 23.30 and a strike rate of 135.46. That gives a hint MI may not see him as part of their core going forward.
Mumbai Indians’ pace bowling attack looked arguably the best among all teams on paper. The franchise roped in Deepak Chahar for a jaw-dropping ₹9.25 crore to share the load with Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult. But he never picked up his peak form. Chahar managed just 11 wickets in 14 games, leaking runs at an economy of 9.17, averaging 34.18.
He couldn’t make an impact with the new ball, which is where his strength lies. Additionally, he had his injury concerns. With Ashwani Kumar rising from the ranks and domestic young talent being available, MI could choose to release him to manage, going into the IPL 2026 auction with a good purse.
Reece Topley is highly rated in the England cricket team for T20 bowling credentials. The Englishman has played only five matches despite being in the IPL for three seasons. The tall pacer did get very limited opportunities but couldn’t leave his mark. He featured in just one match and conceded just 40 runs at an economy of 13.33 rpo. With overseas slots always at a premium, the left-arm pacer might be released from the squad.
