Big Blow to MI! Two Overseas Stars Likely to Miss IPL 2026 Opener vs KKR

Mumbai Indians (MI) might suffer an early setback in IPL 2026 as they may be without their key overseas players Mitchell Santner and Will Jacks in their first game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 22. They were not present at MI's compulsory training session that took place a couple of days ahead of their opening game. Star pacer Jasprit Bumrah also missed the training session.

As per a report from ESPN Cricinfo, Santner and Jacks failed to participate in MI's mandatory training session, and there are concerns over whether they would be part of the playing XI for the first game against KKR. It may be a massive blow for the five-time IPL champions who would be desperate to start the IPL season 2026 on a winning note.

Santner and Jacks' Absence Raises Concern

Mitchell Santner recently finished a five-match T20I series against South Africa after he led New Zealand to the final of the T20 World Cup. He played the first three matches of the series before he was rested for the last two games. The left-arm spinner is expected to reach India and join the MI squad very soon, but there is no official confirmation of his availability.

The all-rounder Will Jacks, however, is not available for MI for personal reasons and may take a little more time to join the squad. He was in tremendous form for England during the T20 World Cup as he played an important role in helping England reach the semi-finals. The duo's absence might pose issues to the team balance as Santner is a control bowler in the middle overs while Jacks is a powerful hitter and a decent all-rounder.

Mumbai Indians Looking at Backup Options

The team management will likely be exploring alternative options. Allah Ghazanfar, a young Afghanistan spinner, could replace Santner if the left-arm spinner is unavailable. He has similar skill sets to Santner and could bring control to the middle overs. To replace Jacks, MI could use Sherfane Rutherford.

The West Indies all-rounder was traded to MI from Gujarat Titans and would be a great addition to strengthen the lower-middle order.

Santner played brilliantly during the T20 World Cup scoring 120 runs from 8 games with a strike-rate of 140. The all-rounder Jacks also put up a spirited performance with both bat and ball picking up 9 wickets and four Player of the Match awards.

Mumbai Indians haven't made it to an IPL final since 2020. They possess one of the best squads in the competition including the likes of Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah and the team will be looking to make it count in this IPL season.

However, starting without a couple of key overseas players will not be ideal for them. For now, MI will be waiting for a concrete update regarding Santner and Jacks' availability while they try to make the most out of this situation.