Matthew Hayden suggests Mumbai Indians might release Star Bowlers ahead of IPL 2026 retentions

JioStar analyst and former Australian opener Matthew Hayden said that releasing and possibly buying back Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar could free up funds to strengthen the Mumbai Indians bench with quality backups ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 retention announcements. All IPL teams will announce their retentions on November 15. Jasprit Bumrah, Boult, Chahar, captain Hardik Pandya, Reece Topley, and young left-armer Ashwani Kumar form part of Mumbai Indians outstanding pace attack.

Speaking on JioStar’s IPL 2026 ‘Retention Preview’, Hayden spoke on MI’s retention dilemma on Boult, “Mumbai Indians have a very balanced playing eleven, but they face some tough decisions. Trent Boult has been exceptional, taking 22 wickets last season and making a strong impact in the powerplay. However, with a 12.5 crore price tag, the management might consider releasing him, potentially allowing them to buy him back at a lower price. This move could free up funds to strengthen other areas of their squad while maintaining their core balance.”

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“Mumbai Indians are five-time champions for a reason; they have a great mix of young talent. However, they need to address their backup players. If I were in their camp, I would consider releasing two bowlers: Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar. Releasing and potentially buying them back could free up funds to strengthen their bench strength with quality backups,” he concluded.

For the five-time champions, Boult (22 wickets in 16 games at an average of 23.50, fourth-highest wicket-taker) and Chahar (11 in 14 at 34.18) proved reliable throughout the season. Before joining the Blue colors, Chahar had played for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), MI’s arch-rivals, from 2018 to 2024, while Boult returned after a stint with Rajasthan Royals (RR) to bolster their pace attack.

Chahar and Topley, meanwhile, have sustained multiple injuries in recent years while playing both franchise and international cricket. Because of this, it is even more crucial that the five-time winners have some strong substitutes in case any of them sustains an injury.

MI advanced to the playoffs last season on the back of strong performances from their pace unit but were defeated by Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 2. Next year, they will look to end their five-year trophy drought.