Mumbai Indians (MI) have one of the strongest squads heading into the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. They possess a very strong core of Indian internationals and excellent overseas talent to complement their domestic talent.

They are renowned for giving young players a chance in its ranks, providing them with a platform to showcase their talent. This year, however, things are looking extremely difficult for talented players to break into the side due to the quality up and down the border along with a very strong bench. However, doors are never locked for any player and they can easily feature for their franchise due to injuries or impressing during training and net sessions.

Here are 3 MI players who might be benched for entire IPL season: 3. Raj Bawa (Batting all-rounder) Raj Bawa. (Photo Source - Twitter/X)

Raj Bawa has played a total of five matches across two IPL seasons. This includes playing three times for MI in 2025, where he got to bat just once. 2026 might be a long season for Bawa on the sidelines, as MI's lower-middle order is occupied by superstar international players.

The likes of Mitchell Santner, in-form Will Jacks and captain Hardik Pandya are all in line to feature ahead of Bawa. There is also Naman Dhir amongst the ranks as MI’s Indian lower-order batter who has impressed a lot over the past two seasons at Wankhede Stadium.

2. Robin Minz (Wicketkeeper-batter) Robin Minz. (Photo Source - Mumbai Indians/Instagram)

IPL teams do not usually like to crop and change their wicketkeepers a whole lot in a season, which is why Robin Minz might not feature for MI in 2026.

Minz played twice last time around but only scored six runs for his side.

MI have some excellent overseas wicketkeepers to choose from for their 2026 campaign. These include the likes of Ryan Rickelton and the returning Quinton de Kock. Not only is the South African duo vying for a spot as MI’s wicketkeeper but also for a place as their opener alongside Rohit Sharma. This unfortunately means bad news for Minz, who might be on the sidelines for a majority of the tournament this year.

1. AM Ghazanfar (Right-arm spinner) Allah Ghazanfar. (Photo source: Instagram/AllahMuhammad Ghazanfar)

AM Ghazanfar is yet another talented spinner coming out of Afghanistan. The 20-year-old was picked up by MI at last year’s mega auction for INR 4.80 crore, but he failed to make a single appearance for the five-time champions.

This year could very well be similar to 2025. MI’s spin-bowling department consists of both Santner and Jacks, who are not only adequate spinners but also offer a lot more with the bat than Ghazanfar. Jacks has recently reinvented himself as a lower-order finisher capable of bowling all four overs of his spin in a T20 game.

The Afghanistan youngster will also face competition from Mayank Markande as MI’s main spinner.