With the injury of premier pacer Mark Wood, the management of the England Test side has decided to pick the Mumbai Indians star, Will Jacks, for the second day-night Test of the Ashes 2025/26 at the Gabba in Brisbane, starting on November 04. It will be the spin all-rounder’s first red-ball appearance in three years after leapfrogging Shoaib Bashir as their main spinner.

It will be the third Test game for Will Jacks, having earned his first two in Pakistan in 2022, where he picked up 6/161 on his debut at the Rawalpindi ground. The 27-year-old was one of the multiple spinners on those two occasions, but now finds himself not just in an Ashes series with 1-0 down, but also as a primary spinner of the pink-ball affair.

See Also: Watch: Ravichandran Ashwin credits this behind Rohit Sharma turning into six-hitting player

Jacks featured in just five-class matches in the last two seasons, and picked up five wickets in the three County Championship 2025 games at an average of 38.80. If he gets a wicket at the Gabba, then it will be his 50th scalp in first-class cricket since his debut in 2018.

England include Will Jacks in second D/N Ashes 2025/26 Test at Gabba

Bashir became the first-choice spinner of Stokes’ side since the start of the 2024 summer, debuting in India earlier that year, but has been left out for the very first time regarding the choice of the spin options. He didn’t find himself in the 12-member side in the previous Perth Test as they opted for an all-pace attack.

“Talking about the tactical element of a day-night game, you do try to look at Australia. They play a lot of day-night cricket here, how they use their spinner as an attacking option, or more to give the bowlers an easier rotation and to get through the overs quicker to have more time with the new ball under lights.” Captain Ben Stokes expressed in the press conference.

England’s playing eleven for second Ashes 2025/26 Test

⁠Zak Crawley, ⁠Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, ⁠Harry Brook, ⁠Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, ⁠Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 is going to kick off on January 9, and the first match will feature the current titleholders Mumbai Indians against the previous winners Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The tournament that lasts for 28 days will end on February 5, with the final taking place on a weekday for the first time at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.

This year’s edition is full of firsts including a January–February window instead of the traditional February–March slot, which the league takes to avoid clashes with major international cricket events. The two-venue format is back, with Navi Mumbai having the first 11 matches including two Saturday double-headers, after which the final 11 league games and the playoffs will be at Vadodara.

Mumbai Indians are the most successful team by far in the league's short history, having won two titles in three seasons, and are entering WPL 2026 as the defending champions. RCB are the only other winners, while Delhi Capitals can lay claim to the unique (and unwanted) record of being also-rans in all three seasons. Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz are still whispering their dreams aloud for a maiden finals appearance.

After the final on February 5, India's women cricketers will directly head out for a full-fledged tour of Australia starting on February 15.

WPL 2026 Complete Schedule (Jan 9 – Feb 5)

WPL 2026 Squads

Mumbai Indians Women

Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, Sajeevan Sajana, Shabnim Ismail, Gunalan Kamalini, Saika Ishaque, Nicola Carey, Triveni Vasistha, Sanskriti Gupta, Nalla Reddy, Milly Illingworth, Poonam Khemnar, Rahila Firdous

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women

Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Lauren Bell, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Grace Harris, Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Dayalan Hemalatha, Linsey Smith, Prema Rawat, Gautami Naik, Kumar Prathyoosha

Delhi Capitals Women

Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, Shree Charani, Chinelle Henry, Laura Wolvaardt, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Taniya Bhatia, Lizelle Lee, Nandani Sharma, Deeya Yadav, Lucy Hamilton, Madiwala Mamatha

Gujarat Giants Women

Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham, Bharti Fulmali, Kashvee Gautam, Renuka Singh, Yastika Bhatia, Kim Garth, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Anushka Sharma, Tanuja Kanwar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Kanika Ahuja, Titas Sadhu, Ayushi Soni, Happy Kumari, Shivani Singh

UP Warriorz Women

Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Meg Lanning, Phoebe Litchfield, Asha Sobhana, Sophie Ecclestone, Deandra Dottin, Kiran Navgire, Kranti Gaud, Pratika Rawal, Shweta Sehrawat, Harleen Deol, Chloe Tryon, Shipra Giri, Simran Shaikh, Gongadi Trisha, Suman L Meena, Tara Norris

Shabnim Ismail comes with a massive experience playing around the world in various formats of the game. She has already picked up 123 wickets in 112 innings of the Women’s T20Is at an average of 18.62 and a strike rate of 19.3 with an economy rate of under six, which is extra-ordinary in this modern age of the format. 

It's hard to get past the incredible pace of the bowler, as Mumbai Indians was lucky to keep the bowler with them ahead of the 2026 season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL). They started the bidding at a base price of INR 40 lakh before the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) joined them in the party but couldn’t breach the desired price.

See Also: Royal Challengers Bengaluru beats Delhi Capitals in bidding war to buy Nadine de Klerk during WPL 2026 auction

Mumbai was keen to get the player and finally signed her for an increased price of INR 60 lakh. It has been a pay cut for the star member of the Proteas who actually got INR 1.20 crore from the same franchise in the last couple of seasons of the league.

Mumbai Indians sign Shabnim Ismail for a price of INR 60 lakh in WPL 2026 auction

In the history of the Women’s Premier League, Ismail has overall picked up 20 wickets in 20 innings at an average of under 27 and a strike rate of 23.5 with the economy staying under the seven-mark. In the 2024/25 season of the tournament, Ismail collected nine wickets in 10 innings at an average of 30 and a strike rate of 26.6 with an economy rate of 6.77.

Ismail is currently in Australia, featuring for the Sydney Thunder side in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) 2025 where he has collected seven wickets in the last five clashes of the event, including the best of 3/27 against the Sydney Sixers.

Mumbai Indians have picked the players who will be nearly confirmed to be part of their eleven as of now. That shows their strong planning in the title defense of the WPL 2026.

Mumbai Indians’ updated squad for WPL 2026

G Kamalini, Harmanpreet Kaur, Nat Sciver Brunt, Hayley Matthews, Amelia Kerr, Shabnim Ismail, and Amanjot Kaur.  

Mumbai Indians have started their preparations for IPL 2026 by calling Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi for a trial at their training center in Mumbai. The five-time champions have been very active in the pre-season period, completing several trades early and shaping most of their squad before the auction. Nabi is the latest promising player they are testing as they look to strengthen their team.

The 29-year-old pacer has not yet played in the IPL, but the upcoming season could be his first chance. Nabi has been in excellent form in domestic cricket and has become one of the most talked-about players this year. In the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2025–26, he has taken 29 wickets in nine innings, including three five-wicket hauls. He has been a contributor with the bat, amassing 146 runs across seven innings, including one all-important half-century. His all-round ability once more makes him an option for any side.

Jammu and Kashmir cricket has grown rapidly in recent years, producing players such as Rasikh Salam, Abdul Samad, Yudhvir Singh, and Umran Malik. Brilliant performances from Nabi have been a major contributor to the strong season so far for J&K. The team currently lies second on the points table with 20 points in five matches, having lost only one game. He has contributed both with the bat and ball to emerge as the key performer of the side.

Nabi Matches MI’s Needs as They Finalize Squad Before the Auction

Mumbai Indians still have INR 2.75 crore left in their purse, and Nabi fits perfectly into their strategy of adding quality bowlers without overspending. Trials before the auction have become common in the IPL. For example, Chennai Super Kings invited Ayush Mhatre for trials last season before signing him mid-tournament as an injury replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad.

See Also: ENG vs AUS: Simon Taufel backs controversial DRS call on Jamie Smith’s dismissal in first Ashes Test

MI also have made several trades in order to build their core for IPL 2026. They brought in Mayank Markande from KKR for INR 30 lakh, Sherfane Rutherford from Gujarat Titans for INR 2.6 crore, and Shardul Thakur from Lucknow Super Giants for INR 2 crore. With these smart moves and possible additions like Auqib Nabi, Mumbai Indians are working to create a strong and well-balanced squad for the upcoming season.

Ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction, Mumbai Indians (MI) has been doing trials for scouting untapped talents. Mumbai Indians has the reputation of finding some of the best underrated talents from the grassroots level of Indian cricket through their scouting projects. Before another fresh season of the Indian Premier League, expectations are high around the 5-time league winners.

It is reported that during one of their recent trial camps, an uncapped Indian chairman bowler was spotted. It was Shubman Rana. Who follows Indian cricket thoroughly has perhaps already heard the name before. The emerging spinner already grabbed attention from multiple IPL franchises with his bowling skills. 

Who is Shubham Rana? 

Shubham Rana is an under-19 prospect and a left-arm wrist spinner, which is rare in cricket, and he has terrific control over his bowling and variations. There are multiple videos on the internet from which viewers can see glimpses of his bowling. One of his best weapons is googly. Rana can deliver a defense-breaking googly because of his control over the bowling. Hailing from Punjab, the spinner worked as a net bowler for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) before but was not selected in the final squad. During the 2023-24 U19 Cooch Behar Trophy, Rana had been in fine form. According to stats, he claimed 28 wickets in 6 matches with an average of just 13.6.

Read More: Watch: KKR head coach Abhishek Nayar issues huge statement on Prithvi Shaw ahead of IPL 2026

In the last season, Mumbai Indians surprised the cricket fans by introducing Vignesh Puthur and Ashwani Kumar in multiple crucial matches. They released Puthur ahead of the upcoming auction. If the MI management wants to rope in another underrated bowler who can put the opposition batters in surprise, then Shubham Rana can be a good option. 

Shubham Rana - U19 Punjab Chinaman attending 2nd round of Mumbai Indians Trials today!
((RR, CSK Net bowler, Sher-E-Punjab: Eco-7.4, Avg-17.8))
MI always had their love towards left arm bowlers in IPL 🤞 pic.twitter.com/LeVceKnJqK

— MI Blud☄️ (@micricket2013) November 20, 2025

Players released and retained by Mumbai Indians ahead of the IPL 2026 auction: 

Released players: Satyanaryana Raju, Vignesh Puthur, Reece Topley, Bevon Jacobs, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Lizaad Williams, Karn Sharma, KL Shrijith, and Arjun Tendulkar (traded to Lucknow Super Giants). 

Retained players: Allah Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Santner, Naman Dhir, Raghu Sharma, Raj Angad Bawa, Robin Minz, Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Trent Boult, Will Jacks, Shardul Thakur (traded in from Lucknow Super Giants), Mayank Markande (traded in from Kolkata Knight Riders), and Sherfane Rutherford (traded in from Gujarat Titans).

An eye-soothing sight for Mumbai Indians fans ahead of the IPL 2026 season. Their new recruit Sherfane Rutherford was in terrific form during the New Zealand vs. West Indies (NZ vs. WI) 1st ODI at the Hagley Oval. For the West Indies, Rutherford appeared as the highest-scoring individual. 

The West Indies won the toss and decided to field first. The Windies pace bowling attack led by Jayden Seales and Matthew Forde did well by taking some crucial wickets, but it was New Zealand hard hitter Daryl Mitchell who captured the spotlight in the first innings of the game. Mitchell played a 119 off 118 and was named as the best player of the match. With the brilliant hundred, the home team registered 269 in exchange for 7 wickets in 50 overs. 

270 was a chaseable target for the second batting team, which was West Indies. The match was evenly balanced between two teams, as the West Indies batting lineup was performing well, almost equally. In the end, New Zealand won the match by only 7 runs. 

Read More: Rajasthan Royals owner reveals why they appoints Kumar Sangakkara as head coach for IPL 2026

Watch glimpses of Sherfane Rutherford's batting vs NZ here

Rutherford scored 55(61) vs NZ today

Those who were showing his last 15 innings please come out pic.twitter.com/ifVbsdN1HW

— Mumbai Indians FC (@MIPaltanFamily) November 16, 2025

During the run chase, Sherfane Rutherford walked into the middle as the number 5 batter and scored 55 off 61. He smashed three 4s and three 6s to fight against the NZ bowlers. But that individual knock proved not enough to overcome the hurdle. 

Mumbai Indians squad ahead of IPL 2026 auction: 

Allah Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Markande (T), Mitchell Santner, Naman Dhir, Raghu Sharma, Raj Angad Bawa, Robin Minz, Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Shardul Thakur (T), Sherfane Rutherford (T), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Verma, Trent Boult, and Will Jacks.

Total spent: INR 122.25
Cap remaining: INR 2.75

Mumbai Indians, the five-time IPL champions, have officially released eight players ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction. The franchise decided to part ways with England pacer Reece Topley, Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, South African pacer Lizaad Williams, India spinner Karn Sharma, New Zealand batter Bevon Jacobs and three uncapped Indian players. As the mid-December auction approaches, MI has completed its retention and release process in line with the November 15 deadline given to all 10 franchises.

The Mumbai Indians management confirmed its final list of retained and released players after submitting their squad details to the BCCI. They have also made a few trades to strengthen the squad. Players like Sherfane Rutherford and Mayank Markande have joined the team through trades. MI hopes to build a strong side for the upcoming season.

Mumbai Indians finished fourth in IPL 2025. Under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy, they won 8 out of 14 league matches. They beat Gujarat Titans by 20 runs in the Eliminator on May 30, 2025. But in Qualifier 2 on June 1 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, MI could not defend a total of more than 200 runs for the first time in their IPL history and lost to Punjab Kings by five wickets.

MI Full List of Retained, Released and Traded Players

Mumbai Indians have kept their main players like Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah. They now have five empty slots (four Indian and one overseas) and a purse of ₹2.75 crore for the mini-auction. The team has also traded out Arjun Tendulkar to Lucknow Super Giants.

With these retentions and trades, MI will look to fill the remaining gaps at the auction and prepare for a better IPL 2026 season.

MI Retained Players

Hardik Pandya (C), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar, Naman Dhir, Raj Angad Bawa, Ashwani Kumar, Robin Minz (WK), Raghu Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (WK), Corbin Bosch, Will Jacks, Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, Allah Ghazanfar

See Also: List of confirmed player trade before IPL 2026 retention window

MI Released Players

Mujeeb Ur Rahman (₹2 crore), Reece Topley (₹75 lakh), Lizaad Williams (₹75 lakh), Vignesh Puthur (₹30 lakh), Karn Sharma (₹50 lakh), Krishnan Shrijith (₹30 lakh), Satyanarayana Raju (₹30 lakh), Bevon Jacobs (₹30 lakh)

MI Players Traded In

Shardul Thakur (₹2 crore from LSG), Sherfane Rutherford (₹2.60 crore from GT), Mayank Markande (₹30 lakh from KKR)

MI Players Traded Out

Arjun Tendulkar (₹30 lakh to LSG)

MI Auction Details

• Vacant Slots: 5 (4 Indian, 1 overseas)
• Remaining Purse: ₹2.75 crore

Shardul Thakur, the Indian bowling all-rounder, will play for the Mumbai Indians in the 2026 IPL season after being traded from the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Thakur joined the Super Giants in IPL 2025 as a replacement player. He has moved to Mumbai Indians in an all-cash deal for ₹2 crore and will form a key pace partnership with Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, and Deepak Chahar.

Mumbai Indians will be Thakur’s seventh IPL team and his fifth team in the last five years. He has been traded, released, and picked in the auction several times. Previously, he has played for Punjab Kings, Rising Pune Supergiant, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants.

Thakur will become the 23rd player to play for both the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings, the two most successful teams in IPL history. He joins other greats like Mike Hussey, Harbhajan Singh, Dwayne Bravo, Piyush Chawla, Robin Uthappa, and recently Deepak Chahar, Mitchell Santner, and Dewald Brevis.

Also Read -Shardul Thakur to join Mumbai Indians in all-cash trade deal for IPL 2026

22 Players Who Played for Both MI and CSK

Dwayne Bravo, Jacob Oram, Thisara Perera, Michael Hussey, Ashish Nehra, Dwayne Smith, Parthiv Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Tim Southee, Mustafizur Rahman, Harbhajan Singh, Ambati Rayudu, Karn Sharma, Piyush Chawla, Robin Uthappa, Adam Milne, Chris Jordan, Deepak Chahar, Mitchell Santner, Anshul Kamboj, Dewald Brevis, Richard Gleeson.

Shardul Thakur, as a white-ball player, may not be the most famous, but at No. 8, he will fill an important gap for the five-time champions.

Mumbai Indians Strengthen Squad

Mumbai Indians also got West Indies batter Sherfane Rutherford in a trade from the Gujarat Titans for ₹2.6 crore. This cash deal helps the Hardik Pandya-led team fill some big gaps before the auction.

With Rutherford joining, the Mumbai Indians are expected to release Will Jacks from the IPL 2025 squad, along with some domestic players.

While the retention list announcement date (November 15, 2025) is almost close before the IPL 2026 auction, which has been scheduled on December 16, 2025, the IPL franchises have started to announce their trades too. 

IPL 2026: List of traded players

Shardul Thakur (Lucknow Super Giants to Mumbai Indians)

📰 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗗𝗨𝗟 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗞𝗨𝗥 𝗝𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗦 𝗠𝗨𝗠𝗕𝗔𝗜 𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗔𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗢𝗙 𝗜𝗣𝗟 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

Read more 👉 https://t.co/bwcjR4dDQs pic.twitter.com/NjvmKRA3NZ

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) November 13, 2025

Indian right-arm pacer Shardul Thakur has been traded from Lucknow Super Giants to Mumbai Indians. ESPNcricinfo has reported that the trade deal happened via an all-cash. While Thakur remained unsold at the IPL 2025 auction, he joined the LSG as the repalcement for injured Mohsin Khan and started the IPL 2025 journey strongly with six wickets in his first two games of the season. He finished the season as the joint second most wicket-taker for LSG with 13 wickets in 10 games. 

Mumbai Indians are set to become the seventh IPL team for Shardul Thakur, who has recorded 107 wickets in 105 IPL matches. 

See Also: Kolkata Knight Riders rope in former CSK legend as Assisstant Coach for upcoming IPL 2026

Sherfane Rutherford (Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians)

📰 𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗘 𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗝𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗦 𝗠𝗨𝗠𝗕𝗔𝗜 𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦

Read more 👉 https://t.co/13g4GNOoRY pic.twitter.com/cKqUu5zlbT

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) November 13, 2025

Mumbai Indians have also welcomed Caribbean cricketer Sherfane Rutherford, as the 27-year-old middle-order batter has been traded from Gujarat Titans to the five-time IPL champions. Sherfane scored 291 runs in 11 innings with an average of 32.33 and a strike rate of 157.29. He finished the season as the fourth most run-scorer for Titans, however, the franchise has decided to trade him out. 

Sherfane previously served for Delhi Capitals (IPL 2019), Royal Challengers Bangalore (IPL 2022), and Gujarat Titans (IPL 2025), and the Caribbean cricketer is now set to serve for his fourth IPL team as Mumbai Indians have traded him in before the IPL 2026 auction. He has scored 397 runs in 23 IPL matches and also has picked up one wicket. 

Mumbai Indians have added significant firepower to their squad ahead of IPL 2026, securing West Indies all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford in a trade move from Gujarat Titans. The left-handed batter, who was acquired by GT for INR 2.6 crore, will join MI at the same fee as part of the pre-auction transfer window.

Rutherford, 27, comes into the season on the back of a productive year with Gujarat Titans, where he played 13 matches in IPL 2025, scoring 291 runs at a blistering strike rate of 157.29. Known for his explosive middle-order hitting and finishing ability, he strengthens an area MI has been keen to address following an inconsistent campaign last season.

West Indies power-hitter returns to MI as franchise boosts middle-order strength

This is not Rutherford’s first association with Mumbai Indians. He was earlier part of the MI squad in 2020, though he didn’t make the playing XI. Across his IPL journey so far, Rutherford has featured in 23 matches, representing Delhi Capitals (2019), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2022), and Kolkata Knight Riders (2024). Despite multiple franchise moves, he has shown glimpses of his match-winning potential, scoring 397 runs in the league at a strike rate of 137.37, including 25 fours and 26 sixes.

ALSO SEE: 3 Reasons Dropping Nitish Kumar Reddy from India’s Squad Ahead of IND vs SA 2025 1st Test Is a Mistake

On the international stage, Rutherford brings valuable experience, having played 44 T20Is for West Indies. He holds the record for the highest sixth-wicket partnership in T20Is, a 139-run stand with Andre Russell against Australia in Perth. While primarily recognised for his batting, he also provides a part-time medium-pace option, with two T20I wickets to his name.

Rutherford’s arrival marks Mumbai Indians’ second trade acquisition ahead of IPL 2026. Earlier, the franchise confirmed the signing of India all-rounder Shardul Thakur, signalling a strategic push to strengthen both their middle order and pace-bowling depth.

With two impactful additions already secured, Mumbai Indians are shaping up strongly heading into the IPL 2026 auction. Rutherford’s finishing ability and power-hitting versatility could prove crucial as the five-time champions look to rebuild for another title push.