Mumbai Indians have brought in Krish Bhagat as a replacement for the injured Atharva Ankolekar, the move coming at a crucial time as they look to revive their IPL 2026 campaign.

21-year-old all-rounder Bhagat from Punjab has joined the team at his base price of Rs 30 lakh. A right-arm medium pacer who can contribute with the bat lower down the order, he has featured in seven first-class matches and nine List A games. He has also scored a half-century in List A cricket, which highlights his ability to perform wonders with the bat.

The young player is no stranger to the Mumbai setup. He has been a part of the franchise’s trials over the past two years and represented the Reliance team in the DY Patil T20 Cup earlier this year. Bhagat worked closely with the team during the pre-season as a supporting bowler, which would help him easily break into the team.

Ankolekar’s absence has left Mumbai off balance. The left-arm spinning all-rounder, who was part of India’s U19 World Cup squad in 2020, had built a reputation as a reliable utility option. He also played a key role in India’s ACC U19 Asia Cup win in 2019 and earned player of the match honors in the final against Bangladesh.

Mumbai’s decision to bring in Bhagat comes amid a challenging phase of their campaign. Despite starting the season with a win for the first time in 13 years, they have gone into decline with three consecutive losses. Execution, rather than personnel, has been a recurring concern.

His struggles have been particularly evident in the powerplay. In four matches, Mumbai has been able to take just three wickets in the first six overs, including the rain-affected match against Rajasthan Royals. While Jasprit Bumrah has been economical, he has not got a single wicket so far this season. Players like Trent Boult and Hardik Pandya have also struggled to establish early leads.

The batting unit has not performed very well. The middle order, including Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Verma, has a lot left to do due to lack of intent in the powerplay. While Suryakumar has scored a half-century, Tilak’s returns have been modest.

Now they will face a tough test against a confident Punjab Kings team led by Shreyas Iyer. Punjab have been one of the standout teams this season, recently scoring a blistering 93 runs without loss in the powerplay against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Openers Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have been in good form, while their batting has been strengthened with the inclusion of Cooper Connolly.

With the momentum against them, Mumbai will hope that Bhagat’s arrival will inject new energy into a team looking for answers.

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