MI bring in Maharaj as Santner's injury forces replacement in 2026 IPL

Mumbai Indians signed South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj to replace injured spinner Ish Sodhi Santner in the 2026 IPL.

Santner's season cut short Ish Sodhi Santner suffered a shoulder injury while taking a boundary catch during a match versus Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede Stadium. He received treatment in the dugout with an ice wrap on his shoulder as Mumbai Indians used a concussion substitute to cover for him. Santner had claimed five wickets in four games this season at an economy rate of 8.92. ## Maharaj steps into the breach Mumbai Indians have signed South Africa's Keshav Maharaj to fill the void left by Ish Sodhi Santner's injury. Maharaj owns 54 T20I appearances for South Africa and has featured in two prior IPL games, both in 2024 for Rajasthan Royals. His franchise cricket resume includes stints in the Caribbean Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League, The Hundred, SA20 and the now-discontinued Mzansi Super League. ## Global T20 pedigree on show Keshav Maharaj's recent SA20 season saw him captain Pretoria Capitals to the final, where he finished with 12 wickets in 12 matches. Across 208 T20 innings, he has collected 191 wickets at a tidy economy rate of 7.12. Mumbai Indians' spin department now includes Maharaj along with AM Ghazanfar, Mayank Markande, Raghu Sharma and allrounder Will Jacks. ## Mumbai's rocky campaign continues Mumbai Indians have won just two of their seven matches so far in the 2026 season and sit ninth in the points standings. Their next fixture is against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. The franchise has turned to Maharaj to bolster a struggling bowling unit after Santner's sidelining.