Strategic move: MI should drop de Kock, add Indian keeper, says Mukund

New Delhi, November 10 – With IPL 2027’s player‑retention cut‑off scheduled for November 17, former India opener Abhinav Mukund has given Mumbai Indians a concise plan for the upcoming auction. He recommends releasing South African‑born Quinton de Kock and signing a native Indian wicket‑keeper to balance the squad.

Mukund also hinted that Hardik Pandya could be transferred to the Punjab Kings, with the deal bringing left‑arm pacer Arshdeep Singh to MI. This would deepen a pace contingent already stacked with Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur and Trent Boult.

Since Ishaan Kishan’s exit after the 2025 mega‑auction, MI has been without a seasoned Indian keeper. Their current foreign keeper options are de Kock and Ryan Recourt, alongside Robin Minj, who has yet to debut in the league. Mukund argued that keeping either de Kock or Recourt among the top‑seven batsmen forces Tilak Varma into a lower slot and eliminates the possibility of playing both Sherfane Rutherford and Will Jacks simultaneously.

De Kock entered the 2026 auction at a base price of INR 1 crore but saw limited action, featuring in only three games as MI opted for Recourt as the primary keeper‑batsman. Letting go of de Kock would open an overseas player slot, allowing MI to recruit a specialist spinner or another foreign talent that does not need to open as a keeper‑batsman.

Mukund concluded that the outcome hinges on the specifics of a potential Hardik Pandya trade. If the exchange proceeds, the extra overseas berth could be allocated to a player who adds depth without crowding the top‑order batting positions.