Mumbai Indians Replace Injured Mitchell Santner With Keshav Maharaj for IPL 2026

Mumbai Indians rope in Keshav Maharaj as Mitchell Santner is ruled out of IPL 2026 following a serious shoulder injury.

In a significant setback during IPL 2026, Mumbai Indians have lost New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner due to a serious injury, forcing him out of the remainder of the tournament. Santner, who played a key role as the team’s frontline spinner, suffered the injury while fielding in a clash against Chennai Super Kings.

The incident saw Santner take a heavy hit on his left shoulder and bowling arm, which immediately raised concerns. He was substituted out of the game and later seen with his shoulder strapped in the dressing room. Following detailed scans and medical assessment, the franchise confirmed that the injury was severe enough to end his campaign this season.

Before the setback, Santner had been in decent form, picking up five wickets from four matches while maintaining a steady economy rate, making his absence a big blow for the side.

Mumbai Indians Sign Keshav Maharaj as Replacement

In response to Santner’s absence, Mumbai Indians moved swiftly to strengthen their squad by signing South African spinner Keshav Maharaj. The experienced left-arm spinner has joined the team as a replacement and is set to earn INR 75 lakhs for his stint with the franchise.

Maharaj brings valuable experience to the table, having featured in 54 T20Is for South Africa and also participating in 45 SA20 matches. He has prior IPL exposure as well, having represented Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024, where he played two matches.

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With Santner sidelined, Maharaj is expected to take on the responsibility of leading the spin department for Mumbai Indians as they look to stay competitive in IPL 2026.