'Other franchises were sleeping': R Ashwin shocked as MI snap up Quinton de Kock for Rs 1 crore

The Mumbai Indians (MI) made what appears to be a shrewd acquisition at the IPL 2026 mini-auction, securing the services of Quinton de Kock for just Rs 1 crore. This addition is expected to significantly boost their batting lineup. Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has lauded the move as a strategic masterstroke.

Despite entering the auction with the smallest purse available, at Rs 2.75 crore, Mumbai Indians managed to sign the South African wicketkeeper-batsman. Ashwin highlighted how MI's ability to grab de Kock, who previously played for the team from 2019-2021, while other franchises seemingly hesitated, demonstrated excellent planning. He suggested MI might be aiming to recreate their successful 2020 squad.

MI had already strengthened their team through trades, adding Sherfane Rutherford, Shardul Thakur and Mayank Markande. Ashwin commented on his YouTube channel that Mumbai Indians seemed to make the most of their limited budget, acting as if they had a much larger sum available. He believes the team is now even stronger than before the auction, thanks to the addition of de Kock and other players.

In addition to de Kock, Mumbai Indians also added Danish Malewar, Mohammad Izhar, Atharva Ankolekar, and Mayank Rawat to finalize their roster for the upcoming 2026 season.