Harbhajan Singh picks overseas players for Mumbai Indians: The TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will start from March 28, as the 10 teams are gearing up for the massive event for two months. Reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will be playing the first game of the season against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). It is going to be an exciting encounter to watch.
Ahead of the IPL, former Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Harbhajan Singh has dropped his comments on the possible Mumbai Indians XI for the upcoming season. While speaking on JioHostar, the former captain predicted the four overseas players who can play for the five-time champions of the IPL. He believes that the franchise will have some headaches picking four players.
Harbhajan Singh picks four overseas players for the Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians retained Trent Boult, Will Jacks, Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch, Ryan Rickelton, and Allah Ghazanfar in their overseas slot. They bought in Sherfane Rutherford as a trade from the Gujarat Titans, and in the auction, they only bought Quinton de Kock. Bhajji predicted that one of the South African wicket-keepers would play, along with Trent Boult and Allah Ghazanfar.
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However, MI would have a tough decision on choosing the final overseas player, between Will Jacks and Sherfane Rutherford. Both cricketers have been in brilliant form; however, the former might just edge out due to his bowling skills and the red-hot form he carried during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
One more player, it could be Rutherford or Will Jacks- Harbhajan Singh
“To start with, either Quinton de Kock or Ryan Rickelton will play and start in the XI. Then we will go down to the bowlers. Trent Boult, obviously, will be the second one who will play. Allah Ghazanfar is someone who will definitely be in that squad,” the former MI spinner said.
“One more player, it could be Rutherford or Will Jacks. If I were part of the management, I would be very keen to play Rutherford, and depending on the surfaces, of course. If we are playing in Chennai, I would like to play Will Jacks there because he can bowl a few overs as well for you,” he added.
Hardik needs to come like Hardik Pandya- Harbhajan Singh
Mumbai Indians qualified for the playoffs in the 2025 season. Though they lost to the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 2. Hardik Pandya is expected to lead the side in the upcoming season. He since joining have failed to qualify for the final of the tournament. In 2024, they finished at the bottom of the table.
Bhajji further added, “Hardik needs to come like Hardik Pandya. He needs to bring his A game to the table, not just as a batter, but as a bowler. We recently saw him bowling in the World Cup. I think he was brilliant with the ball. That’s what he needs to do.”
“When a captain leads from the front, showing the way forward to the team, everyone follows. It will come down to the belief. If they start believing from day one that they are there not just to compete, but to win, I think things can change for them very quickly.”
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