Mumbai Indians in advanced talks with two England stars as they seek temporary replacements for Jacks and Rickelton.
Mumbai Indians in advanced talks to sign Jonny Bairstow and Richard Gleeson for the rest of the IPL.
Prior to MI’s final two group-stage matches, Jacks has returned to India. However, he will be unavailable for the season’s final stages owing to international service, since England’s ODI series against the West Indies conflicts with the rescheduled knockout stage. Subject to a No-Object Certificate, Bairstow is expected to take his position for the knockout stages.
Bairstow has not featured for England in any capacity since June 2024 and was not sold in the November mega-auction. After leading Yorkshire against Surrey at The Oval in the County Championship this week, he would head to India. If his IPL contract is finalised, he would probably miss one Championship game and two T20 Blast matches.
Bairstow has played in five seasons and 50 IPL games. He has played for Punjab Kings in 2022 and 2024 and Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2019–21. In addition to having two IPL hundreds, including one during a run chase that set a record at Eden Gardens last year, he has an outstanding league record, averaging 34.54 and hitting at 144.45. Bairstow will also provide MI a wicketkeeping option because Rickelton is expected to leave before the playoffs.
Jacks has played in 11 of MI’s first 12 group-stage games this season, making him a fixture. In nine innings, he has amassed 195 runs and claimed five wickets with his offbreaks. In their victories over the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Lucknow Super Giants at home, he was also named Player of the Match.
Cricket South Africa has asked members of its World Test Championship final squad to return home by May 27. Rickelton and his countryman Corbin Bosch will also miss the playoffs. After Rohit Sharma, Rickelton has scored 336 runs at 30.54 and a strike rate of 153.42 in his 12 innings, making him MI’s second-highest run scorer of the season.
Last year, Gleeson, 37, made his IPL debut by filling in for the Chennai Super Kings in two games. He has a white-ball contract with his county, Warwickshire, and if his agreement with MI is ratified, he will miss their first two T20 Blast games.
Ahead of their final two group-stage games against the Delhi Capitals (May 21) and Punjab Kings (May 26), MI is currently ranked fourth in the standings. After a sluggish start to the season, they went on a six-match winning streak. However, their most recent game before the IPL was postponed because of tensions between India and Pakistan across the border resulted in a tight defeat to the Gujarat Titans.