Jonny Bairstow Steps Into the Mumbai Indians Squad
Mumbai Indians just shook up their line-up right in the middle of the IPL 2025 season. Three overseas stars—Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton, and Corbin Bosch—had to pack their bags early, leaving huge gaps in Mumbai's playing XI. The reason? Their countries came calling for international series, and there’s no saying no to a World Test Championship final or England's white-ball summer at home.
Will Jacks, who had found his rhythm in India’s high-pressure T20 environment, suddenly becomes unavailable with England’s ODI and T20 squads gearing up for a home showdown against the West Indies from May 29. That’s right as the IPL's business end kicks in. For Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch, South Africa’s Test side needs all hands on deck for their WTC final against Australia. Mumbai had to act fast.
Enter Jonny Bairstow. If you're looking for experience and grit, he's got it in spades. Mumbai locked the deal with a $614,000 offer (that’s INR 5.25 crore if you keep track). Bairstow is no IPL rookie—he’s turned up for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings, racking up 50 appearances and a reputation as a match-winner. Internationally, his resume sparkles with over 287 England caps and a World Cup winner’s medal. Mumbai isn’t just plugging a hole; they’re betting on a player who knows how to handle the kind of pressure that comes with knockout games.
Team Changes and Mumbai’s Playoff Race
The new faces aren’t stopping with Bairstow. The management pulled in Sri Lanka’s Charith Asalanka and English pacer Richard Gleeson to take the spots left vacant by Rickelton and Bosch. Both should be able to jump straight in from the playoff stage, assuming Mumbai manage to hold onto, or climb, their current fourth place. The table’s tight, with the Delhi Capitals hot on their heels in a fight for the last playoff berth.
The timing for these moves couldn’t be trickier. The IPL schedule shifted this year because of ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan, pushing the final deeper into summer. Now, the tournament ends June 3—exactly when England and South Africa’s national teams are gathering for red-ball and white-ball action, and when every international star faces a choice between club and country. It’s turning this IPL endgame into a chessboard where team managers are losing pieces and making new ones fit at the last minute.
For Mumbai fans, the biggest question is whether this revamped squad can gel quickly. Bairstow hasn’t played with this group before, and the late entry means he’ll only get going if Mumbai lock down their playoff spot. So, while the franchise just added a global star, they’re banking on him to hit the ground running as the stakes skyrocket.
And if there’s one thing to count on in the IPL, it’s that the drama off the field is just as intense as what happens out in the middle.
