Mumbai Indians rope in Sri Lanka captain for IPL 2025 playoffs

Mumbai Indians have reportedly approached Sri Lanka’s white-ball captain Charith Asalanka to join their squad for the rest of the IPL 2025 season. Ahead of the resumption of the IPL 2025 on May 17, the five-time champions are eyeing Charith Asalanka to join the squad.

Actually, Mumbai Indians are making backup plans as they gear up for the IPL 2025 playoffs. If Hardik Pandya and Co. make it to the knockout stage, they’ll likely miss their key overseas players Corbin Bosch and Ryan Rickelton of South Africa and England’s Will Jacks due to international duties.

Mumbai Indians in talks to rope in Charith Asalanka amid overseas players' absence for IPL 2025

Bosch and Rickelton have been picked in South Africa’s squad for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 Final, while Jacks will be in the West Indies with the England cricket team for the white-ball series, starting May 29.

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To fill the gap, the Mumbai franchise has reportedly set its sights on Asalanka. Sri Lanka’s white-ball captain is known for his powerful hitting, and he could bring the firepower MI needs in the crucial final phase of the tournament in the absence of Jacks, Bosch, and Rickelton.

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As reported by Newswire, talks are underway between Mumbai Indians and Charith Asalanka, but neither of them has officially confirmed the move yet. The report reads, “Sri Lanka’s white-ball captain Charith Asalanka has reportedly been approached by Mumbai Indians to join the squad for the remainder of the IPL 2025 season.”

Charith Asalanka's T20 numbers

However, the left-handed batter is yet to make his debut in the Indian Premier League, but he featured in the Lanka Premier League and International League T20 (ILT20) of the UAE.

The Sri Lankan captain has so far played 137 T20s in his career and amassed 2767 runs, with the highest score being an unbeaten 80. The off-spinner also has 27 wickets in the T20 cricket.

Charith Asalanka has also represented Sri Lanka in 58 T20Is, scoring 1247 runs and taking 6 wickets so far. He also played 3 Tests and 73 ODIs for Sri Lanka.

Read Also: Revealed: Why Moeen Ali, Rovman Powell ditched KKR and refused to return for IPL 2025?

Mumbai Indians eye playoff spot after dramatic turnaround in IPL 2025

Meanwhile, the Mumbai Indians have turned their season around in style. After losing 4 of their first 5 matches, they bounced back with 6 wins in a row before slipping against Gujarat Titans in their last game before the IPL 2025 was suspended for a week by the BCCI.

Now, with just two matches left, MI needs to win at least one to keep their IPL 2025 playoff hopes alive. They are currently sitting on the fourth spot with 14 points from 12 games so far. After an eight-day break, IPL 2025 resumes with RCB vs. KKR in Bengaluru on May 17.

Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Rajasthan Royals are out of the IPL 2025 playoffs race, while seven teams fight for the top four spots. Mumbai Indians have the best net run rate (1.156) and could qualify with one more win, depending on other results.

However, a top-two finish isn’t certain even with 18 points for the MI, as Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Punjab Kings can still finish higher in the league stage.