IPL 2026: Mumbai Indians in Talks with KKR to Bring Back Mayank Markande, Eye Rahul Chahar Too

Just two days before the IPL retention deadline, Mumbai Indians (MI) have become active. The five-time champions have reportedly approached Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to bring back leg-spinner Mayank Markande.

Sources say the talks are in the final stage, and if things go smoothly, the trade could be confirmed soon. The 28-year-old is set to return to the team where he began his IPL career in 2018. It is not confirmed at this stage whether another player is involved in the deal, as insiders feel it could well be an all-cash transaction. KKR bought the wrist-spinner for 30 lakh at the mega auction last year but didn't give him a single game in the entire season.

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Mumbai Indians Founded: 2008

Mumbai Indians, owned by Indiawin Sports, are one of the most successful franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

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Mayank Markande Bowler

Mayank Markande is an Indian cricketer who bowls right-arm leg-break.

MI eye Markande return, show interest in Rahul Chahar ahead of IPL deadline

MI already have two wrist-spinners, Vignesh Puthur (a left-arm spinner) and Karn Sharma. Adding Markande will give them more choices in the spin department. Markande had a great first season with MI, taking 15 wickets in 14 matches. His performance even earned him an India debut less than a year later.

However, after that, his career didn’t go as planned. He played only one T20I for India and didn’t get enough chances in the IPL. Over the next five years, despite playing for two other teams, he managed to appear in only 23 matches.

Markande, however, is not the only leggie on MI's radar. It is understood that there was, or still is, some interest in Rahul Chahar too, but it can't be confirmed whether the interest materialised into any engagement with Sunrisers Hyderabad. The SRH team wasn’t impressed with Rahul Chahar last season. Even though they bought him for ₹3.20 crore at the mega auction, he got to play only one match.

The team management didn’t find his performances in the practice games good enough and decided to keep him on the bench. Mumbai Indians showing interest in him again isn’t surprising, as he had done well for them in the past.

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by IPL Web Desk November 13, 2025