Abhinav Mukund Urges Mumbai Indians to Release Quinton de Kock for Indian Wicketkeeper

New Delhi, November 10 (Daily Kiran) : Former Indian cricketer Abhinav Mukund has shared crucial insights regarding the Mumbai Indians’ (MI) team strategy as the retention deadline for IPL 2027 approaches. With the deadline set for November 17, Mukund believes the franchise should consider releasing Quinton de Kock to make room for an Indian wicketkeeper.

As the IPL 2027 auction nears, scheduled for December 16, reports suggest that MI might trade Hardik Pandya to the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in exchange for Arshdeep Singh. This move could bolster MI’s fast bowling lineup, which already includes Jasprit Bumrah, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, and Trent Boult.

However, since the release of Ishan Kishan before the IPL 2025 mega auction, MI has lacked an experienced Indian wicketkeeper. Currently, the team has two overseas wicketkeepers, de Kock and Ryan Rickelton, alongside Robin Minz, who has yet to make his IPL debut.

Mukund stated, “If Hardik moves to another team, it could benefit all parties involved. For MI, the absence of an Indian wicketkeeper has been a significant gap. They have had to choose between Rickelton or de Kock for their top seven batsmen. While I know Rickelton is in great form, it forces Tilak Varma to bat lower down the order. Additionally, it limits the option to play both Sherfane Rutherford and Will Jacks together. Fitting an overseas spinner and a wicketkeeper into the foreign player quota has been quite a challenge. Will Hardik’s departure resolve this issue?”

MI acquired de Kock at his base price of ₹1 crore during the IPL 2026 auction. However, he had limited opportunities last season, appearing in just three matches as MI opted for Rickelton as their primary wicketkeeper-batsman.

Mukund further commented, “I know de Kock wasn’t bought at a high price, but I would release him to free up a spot for foreign players. If you need another player who isn’t a wicketkeeper-opener, you will have that space available. This also depends on who comes in the trade for Hardik. If you need room for an additional foreign player based on that, I would let him go.”