Mitchell Santner ruled out; Keshav Maharaj joins Mumbai Indians for IPL 2026

The TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 have already crossed the halfway mark. However, the Mumbai Indians have been struggling in the tournament as they are currently placed 9th in the league table with five losses and two wins from seven games in the 19th edition of the league. They have been struggling with injury problems as well, as Mitchell Santner has been ruled out.

Now, MI have signed his replacement in the form of Keshav Maharaj, the South Africa spinner will join the side for a price of INR 75 Lakh. Santner has been ruled out due to a left shoulder injury, which he sustained during MI’s last home game against Chennai Super Kings while taking a catch.

Mitchell Santner out of IPL

Mitchell Santner was soon taken off the field holding his shoulder and was spotted strapped on his left shoulder, which is also his bowling arm. The Kiwi skipper’s absence will create a problem for MI as it would affect the balance he adds to the squad with lower-order batting.

Santner played four games this season and has picked up five wickets in the tournament so far. His economy has also been under 10, which says a lot about his skills bowling in different conditions. In two seasons, for the Mumbai Indians, he has picked 15 wickets for the Blues in the IPL.

Shardul Thakur was sent in as a concussion substitute, which caused controversy over the legitimacy of the decision. During the post-match press conference, head coach Mahela Jayawardene stated that the New Zealand captain had also experienced symptoms consistent with a possible concussion.

Keshav Maharaj can be key for Mumbai Indians

"Mumbai Indians have confirmed the signing of South African left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj as a replacement for Mitchell Santner, who has been ruled out of IPL 2026, due to the injury he sustained on his left shoulder in the previous match," the Mumbai Indians informed in
a statement on Monday.

"A captain for the national team and in franchise cricket, Keshav, in his last 30 T20 matches, has taken 31 wickets with a best of 3 for 15," the release said.

Has Keshav Maharaj played for Mumbai franchise earlier?

Keshav Maharaj recently competed in a T20I series against New Zealand. He has appeared in two IPL matches, representing the Rajasthan Royals in 2024. He has bowled well in India and in white-ball cricket as well; his experience will come in favour of the Mumbai Indians in the upcoming season.

This will be the first time Kehsav Maharaj will be playing for the Mumbai franchise, as previously he had not played for any of the other franchises owned by the Mumbai Indians group (such as MI Cape Town in SA20, MI Emirates in ILT20, or MI New York in MLC).

MI will be hosting the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who are in excellent form in the IPL, have won four matches in a row, and will look to make another one in their next game. However, Mumbai will look to turn the tables after their thumping 103-run defeat against CSK.

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