Good news for Hardik Pandya’s Mumbai Indians! Star player joins MI squad ahead of IPL 2026 clash vs DC

New Zealand’s left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Mitchell Santner has joined the Mumbai Indians (MI) squad for the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

The five-time champion posted a video on their social media accounts, where Santner’s arrival in New Delhi was confirmed. It also means Santner is expected to be available for their next fixture against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

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Santner adds depth to MI’s spin attack

Santner, who missed MI’s six-wicket win over three-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, adds depth to the side’s spin bowling attack and also strengthens their lower middle order, giving the Hardik Pandya-led side a huge boost.

Santner has been a consistent performer for New Zealand in limited-overs cricket. In the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, Santner picked up two wickets at an economy rate of 6.60 while scoring 120 runs at a strike rate of 142.85, as he led New Zealand to a runners-up finish in the competition.

He then played the first three games in the recent T20I series against South Africa before being rested for the final two matches, as New Zealand eventually lost the series 3-2. In MI, having a third-place finish in IPL 2025, before losing to Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2, Santner picked 10 wickets in 13 games at an economy rate of 7.92, apart from making 40 runs with the bat.

Santner’s prior IPL experience

Mumbai Indians are also awaiting the arrival of off-spin bowling all-rounder Will Jacks, who has taken some time off due to personal reasons. Santner has prior IPL experience with Chennai Super Kings, where he featured in their 2023 title-winning campaign. After playing their clash against DC in New Delhi, MI will travel to Guwahati to take on the Rajasthan Royals at the ACA Stadium on Tuesday. He missed the first match played by the Mumbai Indians against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium.

Mumbai Indians squad for IPL 2026

MI squad: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Robin Minz, Sherfane Rutherford, Ryan Rickelton, Quinton De Kock, Danish Malewar, N. Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Raj Angad Bawa, Atharva Ankolekar, Mayank Rawat, Corbin Bosch, Will Jacks, Shardul Thakur, Trent Boult, Mayank Markande, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar, Raghu Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Izhar, Allah Ghazanfar

(With IANS Inputs)