Mumbai Indians Eye Reunion With Mayank Markande and Rahul Chahar in Busy IPL 2026 Trade Window: Report
Mumbai Indians are in talks to re-sign former spinners Mayank Markande and Rahul Chahar as they strengthen their spin attack ahead of IPL 2026, with negotiations involving KKR and SRH reportedly underway.
Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya celebrates with teammates after a win.
Increasing their offensive domestic spin-bowling department ahead of the 2026 IPL season finds MI reportedly conferring with the possibility to reunite with two of their former players.
The mini-auction started off with many trades, none bigger than the thrilling swap between superstar Sanju Samson of Rajasthan Royals and Ravindra Jadeja of Chennai Super Kings, and MI has become yet another franchise attempting some strategic alteration to its roster, should it go through with one.
Having recently acquired pacer Shardul Thakur from Delhi Capitals for Arjun Tendulkar, MI has now set its sights on Mayank Markande, the leg-spinner who started his stint in the IPL with the franchise in 2018. According to the report coming from the Times of India, the five-time champions have launched an all-cash bid to procure Markande from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who, notably, never played a single match for the franchise in 2025. From sources, the talks are said to be in the final leg, and an official announcement can be expected shortly.
Markande made his impact by storming into the IPL, grabbing 15 wickets from 14 matches in his debut season for MI. Markande made his Indian debut early on in 2019, but since then, it has been a fair bit of an inconsistent journey for him, having managed just 23 more games of IPL after that. Stints with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2023 and 2024 did show glimpses of promise --- some traces MI could be looking to light up again.
Rahul Chahar also on MI’s radar
The report further indicates that MI are also interested in bringing back another former leg-spinner, Rahul Chahar, who was part of their 2020 IPL title-winning squad. Chahar, now with SRH, played just one match in the 2025 season and carries a price tag of ₹3.2 crore, making him a costlier option than Markande.
While MI have reportedly reached out to SRH regarding Chahar’s availability, it remains to be seen if the franchise is open to parting ways with the spinner. Sources suggest MI could make a decision soon on whether to finalize a trade or wait for the auction pool.
Currently, MI’s Indian spin attack includes Vignesh Puthur and Karn Sharma, complemented by overseas options Mitchell Santner and Will Jacks. Adding either Markande or Chahar would provide much-needed depth and experience in local spin conditions.
KKR, meanwhile, are expected to look for alternative backup options for Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine if Markande’s move to MI materializes.
latest news: IPL 2026: Mumbai Indians in Talks to Reunite With Former Spinners Mayank Markande and Rahul Chahar — Reports
