The stage is set for IPL 2026. In the mini auction held on December 16th, all teams made purchases and strengthened themselves even more. The most astute was Mumbai Indians, who entered the auction with the least amount of money and made a big move.
They looked strong even before the auction, but in the auction they made smart purchases and reclaimed the lethal player who played a crucial role in Mumbai’s two titles. Now, in IPL 2026, this player will be seen raining fours and sixes alongside Rohit Sharma. He has the ability to single-handedly turn the tide of a match. The most remarkable thing is that Mumbai acquired this player at a base price of just 1 crore rupees.
The player in question here is none other than South Africa’s explosive opener Quinton de Kock. De Kock played a key role in Mumbai’s title triumphs in 2019 and 2020. De Kock’s return to Mumbai for just ₹1 crore became the most surprising deal of the auction. Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin described this purchase as the most astute move of the auction. Ashwin believes that while other teams were struggling with calculations, Mumbai seized the opportunity and immediately seized a player like de Kock.
De Kock’s statistics speak volumes about his lethality. In 115 IPL matches so far, he has scored over 3,300 runs, including 24 fifties and two centuries. He helped Mumbai win two titles with 503 runs in 2019 and another 503 in 2020. He will now open the innings with Rohit Sharma in the next season. Overall, he has amassed 11,500 runs in T20Is.
Mumbai Indians bought these players in the auction
Quinton de Kock – South Africa, Rs 1 crore.
Danish Malewar – India, Rs 30 lakh.
Mohammad Izhar – India, Rs 30 lakh.
Atharva Ankolekar – India, Rs 30 lakh.
Mayank Rawat – Rs 30 lakh.
Mumbai Indians’ full squad for IPL 2026
Hardik Pandya (captain), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Verma, Ryan Rickelton, Robin Mings, Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch, Naman Dhir, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Allah Ghazanfar, Ashwini Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Will Jacks, Raghu Sharma, Raj Angad Bawa, Sherfane Rutherford, Mayank Markande, Shardul Thakur, Quinton de Kock, Mohammad Izhar, Danish Malewar, Atharva Ankolekar, Mayank Rawat.