Mumbai, May 20 (UNI) Mumbai Indians (MI) have signed England's Jonny Bairstow and Richard Gleeson, along with Sri Lanka's Charith Asalanka, as temporary replacements for Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch, the franchise confirmed.
An IPL statement on Tuesday said that Bairstow has been signed for Rs 5.25 crore, while Gleeson and Asalanka were acquired at their reserve prices of Rs 1 crore and Rs 75 lakh respectively. The replacements will be available from the playoff stage onwards, should MI qualify.
Currently, MI and Delhi Capitals (DC) are vying for the final playoff berth, with a crucial fixture scheduled between the two sides on Wednesday. The encounter also marks MI’s first outing since the league resumed on May 17 following a temporary suspension due to heightened cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.
Jacks, Rickelton and Bosch are set to leave the squad following MI’s last league-stage match against Punjab Kings on May 26. Jacks will join England's ODI squad for a home series against the West Indies, while Rickelton and Bosch have been called up for South Africa's World Test Championship (WTC) final preparations.
Bairstow, who went unsold at the November 2024 mega auction, has not featured for England in any format since June last year. The English keeper-batsman has played 50 matches across five IPL seasons, representing Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings. He averages 34.54 and strikes at 144.45, with two centuries to his name — including one during a record run chase at Eden Gardens last year.
Gleeson, 37, made his IPL debut in 2024 for Chennai Super Kings as a replacement player.
Asalanka, Sri Lanka’s limited-overs captain, is set for his IPL debut after going unsold at last year’s auction. He becomes the latest Sri Lankan to join the IPL, following in the footsteps of Kusal Mendis.
Rickelton has been a vital cog in MI’s campaign, scoring 336 runs at 30.54 and a strike rate of 153.42, making him their second-highest run-getter this season after Suryakumar Yadav. Jacks has featured in 11 of MI’s 12 league matches so far, scoring 195 runs and claiming five wickets with his off-spin.
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