IPL 2026: 3 Big Names MI Could Target in the Mini Auction ft. Liam Livingstone

After the completion of IPL 2025, it's time to talk about the five-time champions of the Indian Premier League, Mumbai Indians, who have been struggling in the last few seasons. The same team that won the trophy every second year between 2013 and 2019, and in 2020, is now playing like an average team. Since Rohit Sharma stepped down from the captaincy, the team's performance has gone down. Under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, the team first finished at the bottom of the points table last season. And now this season, the team performed very poorly in the first half, but made a surprising comeback in the second half, finally reaching the playoffs. However, there are various capability gaps in the Mumbai Indians squad, which the team will look to fill in the upcoming IPL 2026 auction. Today, in this article, we will discuss three players that the Mumbai Indians should target in the upcoming auction.

Liam Livingstone

The first player on our list is England all-rounder Liam Livingstone. Livingstone has been a renowned cricketer worldwide due to his exceptional performance, known for hitting long sixes of over 100 metres and providing crucial overs with his off-spin. However, he has yet to showcase his magic in the IPL. Expecting a big performance, RCB acquired him in the IPL 2025 for a similar role. However, Livingstone didn't perform as expected, and it is now anticipated that the RCB will release him this year as they look to increase their purse. On the other hand, the Mumbai Indians were looking for a good overseas all-rounder who could bat in the middle order. Livinstone fits this role well, and MI will be eyeing this opportunity. We can expect some big bids from the Mumbai Indians for Liam Livingstone in the upcoming IPL 2026 mini auction.

Mohammad Nabi

The next player on the list is a veteran Afghan spinner who was the first Afghan player to play in the IPL. Mumbai Indians need a quality all-rounder who can bat in the lower-middle-order and bowl four quality overs. Mohammed Nabi is someone who fits this role very well, and he is likely to join the Mumbai Indians for the upcoming season, if MI shows interest. In the IPL 2025 season, no team acquired him, but he could make a comeback in the next IPL season.

Krishnappa Gowtham

Mumbai is sorted in its pace department with three world-class fast bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, and Deepak Chahar. However, the team seems a bit weak in the spin department. In the recent season, the team signed Allah Ghazanfar to lead the spin unit, but due to injury, he couldn't play for MI in the season. Even after his return next year, the team still lacks an experienced Indian spinner with multiple seasons of experience. Krishnappa Gowtham is an Indian spinner who fits this requirement well. To fill this gap, the Mumbai Indians could target Krishnappa in the upcoming IPL 2026 auction.

Mumbai Indians

MI Squad 2025

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All-Rounders:

Bowlers: