Mumbai Indians have turned to 21-year-old Punjab seamer Krish Bhagat after left-arm spinner Atharva Ankolekar failed to beat a knee injury picked up during the Ranji Trophy. Bhagat joins the squad at his base price of INR 30 lakh and is available for immediate selection.
The call-up marks Bhagat’s first official involvement in the IPL. To date he has not played a senior T20, yet he has spent the past two pre-seasons bowling at MI nets and featured for the Reliance XI in the DY Patil T20 Cup earlier this year. In first-class cricket he owns seven appearances for Punjab, while his nine List-A matches have brought nine wickets and a handy lower-order fifty against Uttarakhand.
Explaining the decision, the franchise released a short statement:
“Krish has consistently impressed the coaching staff with his dedication, work ethic, and the quality he brings to every session and practise games that he played for Mumbai Indians. His commitment and development over the years, both in domestic and at Mumbai Indians practise sessions this season have earned him this well-deserved opportunity to transition into the main squad.”
Bhagat’s elevation is, in part, a response to MI’s scratchy start to IPL 2026. Four games in, Hardik Pandya’s side sit ninth with a solitary win. The new-look attack has looked short of bite: Jasprit Bumrah is still wicketless, and the supporting seamers—Shardul Thakur, Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar and company—have struggled for consistency.
A fresh, lively right-arm option therefore makes sense. Bhagat is quick through the air, hits the deck hard and, according to coaches who have watched him up close, can land the yorker more often than not. He’s raw, yes, but MI have never been shy of backing untested bowlers if they like what they see in the net sessions.
What happens next? Realistically, Bhagat may start as cover, especially while Boult and Chahar remain fit. Yet Mumbai’s schedule is tight, pitches will tire, and a younger pair of legs could come in handy. If nothing else, the promotion rewards a player who has done the unseen work—long spells in the heat, endless fielding drills, the lot.
For Ankolekar, sidelined at 25, the timing hurts. Knee issues are awkward for spinners, and the rehab queue is rarely short. Still, MI insist he remains very much in their plans once fully fit.
The franchise’s next fixture is in Kolkata on Sunday. Whether Bhagat debuts there or waits a little longer, the youngster has already cleared one sizeable hurdle: making the squad in the first place.
