New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) have announced Krish Bhagat as a replacement for spin all-rounder Atharva Ankolekar, who has been ruled out of the IPL 2026 due to injury.

The 21-year-old right-arm medium pacer, who has played seven first-class matches and nine List A matches for Punjab, will join the team for a base price of Rs 30 lakh.

“Mumbai Indians (MI) have signed Krish Bhagat as a replacement for Atharva Ankolekar, who has been ruled out of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 due to injury. Bhagat, 21, has played seven first-class matches and nine List A matches for Punjab. He is a right-arm medium pacer and has also registered a half-century in List A cricket,” the IPL wrote in a statement.

Krish brings versatility as a right-arm fast bowler and can contribute with the bat as a lower order batsman. He was part of Mumbai Indians trials for the past two years, having played for the Reliance Team in the DY Patil T20 Cup in 2026 and has been a support bowler with the team since the pre-season.

Ankolekar, meanwhile, was part of India’s U19 World Cup team in 2020 and was also the Player of the Match in the final of the ACC U19 Asia Cup against Bangladesh in 2019.

MI started their IPL 2026 season with a win against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). However, they couldn’t maintain that momentum and lost their next three matches against Delhi Capitals (DC), Rajasthan Royals (RR), and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). This early setback puts them under pressure to find their rhythm again, as that initial victory now feels less significant due to their struggling performance.

Rohit Sharma’s injury adds an intriguing angle to the match as he walked off the field due to a hamstring injury in MI’s clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

MI will next face IPL 2026 runner ups Punjab Kings (PBKS) at their home ground, Wankhede Stadium, on Thursday.

The five-time champions have not won a trophy since IPL 2020. They were eliminated from the second qualifiers in the last season after losing to the Punjab Kings by five wickets.

–IANS

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