Mumbai Indians Target Mayank Markande & Rahul Chahar to Strengthen Spin Attack ahead of IPL 2026 Retention
The Mumbai Indians (MI) are planning to strengthen their spin bowling department ahead of the upcoming season. MI’s spin department was exposed in the last edition therefore, as per the reports, MI has reached out to both Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to bring back their two former left-spinners, Mayank Markande and Rahul Chahar.
As per the reports, the Mumbai Indians offered an all-cash deal to KKR for Mayank Markande, who did not play a single match for Kolkata in the IPL 2025, as they already had the duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine. Markande made his IPL debut for the Mumbai Indians in 2018, and he had quite a decent performance, but his career didn’t take off as expected.
Over the years, Markande has been a part of many teams like the Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Kolkata Knight Riders. Markande played plenty of matches for SRH in 2023 and 2024 but didn’t get a consistent opportunity to showcase his skills. KKR might give Markande to MI, and with this, he will have the excellent opportunity to revive his career.
Mumbai Indians not only targeted Mayank Markande, but they also went for another familiar face, Rahul Chahar. Chahar has also been part of the Mumbai Indians for a few years but was later traded to SRH in 2023. Chahar’s current price tag of Rs. 3.2 crore could be a concern for MI’s budget; therefore, they might only go for Markande.
Why Mayank Markande and Rahul Chahar?
Both Mayank Markande and Rahul Chahar are talented young spinners, and they are known for their wicket-taking ability. Markande has improved his bowling, and his performances has significantly improved in domestic cricket as compared to the past version.
Rahul Chahar has always been a consistent performer for the Mumbai Indians. However, the only concern was his economy rate, but over time, he worked on it, and now, he is known for his wicket-taking ability and economical bowling.
Both players have been part of the Mumbai Indians, and they have played a crucial role for the franchise. Piyush Chawla was taking care of the spin department, but now, he is on the verge of retirement, so the Mumbai Indians need some quality spinners on their side.
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