'An Indian keeper was the only missing piece' - Abhinav Mukund decodes MI's squad balance
Abhinav Mukund has pinpointed a critical gap in Mumbai Indians' squad composition during the IPL 2026 season.
MI's wicketkeeping options included overseas players Quinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton, alongside Robin Minz, creating a strategic imbalance that affected batting depth and bowling combinations. The presence of two overseas keepers forced difficult selection trade-offs in the middle order and overseas quota management.
"If he does go to another side, I would think it should be a win-win for all parties involved. If you're talking about Mumbai Indians, the only thing, according to me, that was missing was an Indian wicketkeeper in there. That was a big miss for them because, in their top seven, they had to play either Ryan Rickelton or Quinton de Kock," Mukund said on JioStar.
"I know Rickelton is in great form, but that pushes Tilak down; it doesn't give you the option to play both Sherfane Rutherford and Will Jacks. So, it was a bit of a confusing scenario to fit in an overseas spinner plus an overseas wicketkeeper within the quota of four overseas players. Does that solve the problem if Hardik Pandya goes out?" he added.
What solution did Mukund propose for the squad imbalance?
Mukund recommended releasing Quinton de Kock to create additional overseas cap space as a potential solution. De Kock was acquired by MI at the IPL 2026 auction for ₹1 crore, but Mukund viewed his departure as a way to free up resources for other overseas players if the squad required restructuring.
"I know he was not an expensive buy, but I would release Quinton de Kock for the sole reason of just freeing up overseas cap space, in case you need someone else. So, in case there is a necessity for somebody else, and not a wicketkeeper-opening batter, then you'll have a free spot. Then it also depends on who comes in the Hardik trade. So, on the basis of that, if you need space for an extra overseas player, I would release him," Mukund said.
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