Mumbai Indians have established a solid foundation for their pre-auction business at IPL 2026 by trading two players: Shardul Thakur, the Indian all-rounder, has been acquired from the Lucknow Super Giants, and Sherfane Rutherford, the West Indies all-rounder, from the Gujarat Titans. The deals were sealed and publicised by the league on 13 November 2025.
In the 2025 season, Thakur was obtained by LSG for INR 2 crore as an injury replacement and he managed to bag 13 wickets in 10 matches. In a direct trade, MI got him for the same amount of INR 2 crores before the onset of the next season. Bringing Thakur in for Mumbai is not just about his medium-pace bowling and lower-order runs, it also indicates that they want to strengthen the all-round Indian player quota and domestic core before the auction.
At the same time, the movement of Rutherford increases the international/overseas category. The West Indian has played 44 T20Is and is part of the record for the highest sixth-wicket partnership in T20Is (139 runs with Andre Russell). After the trade from GT, he comes to MI with the same fee of ~INR 2.6 crore. His arrival will give MI not only more power in batting depth but also more flexibility in finishing ability from the overseas list.
Also read: IPL 2026 Retention Rules: How Many Players Can Teams Retain and Release Before Auction?
The timing of these trades is crucial. MI have taken the opportunity to secure major parts early instead of relying entirely on the auction when the retention deadline of 15 November is just round the corner. Besides, these moves give them a head-start in framing their squad: Indian all-round depth thanks to Thakur, finishing overseas strength due to Rutherford and the moderation of retained cores possibly the way they want.
When it comes to LSG and GT, the exiting of these players means that the overseas slots are now vacant and a bigger budget is available. MI might be able to do the same and either release other overseas players or change their retention strategy to fit them in.
To sum up: Mumbai Indians have taken two clever steps in advance of IPL 2026 by acquiring Shardul Thakur and Sherfane Rutherford. These trades not only strengthen the domestic and overseas balance but also signal MI’s commitment to being aggressive and well-prepared for the auction and season. The next question will be how MI will fit these two into their squad, how their retention/release list will look by the deadline, and how the auction strategy will be affected from this point on.
Written By:- Manjunath S