MI announce Mahipal Lomror, Ruchit Ahir as replacements for Quinton de Kock, Raj Angad Bawa ahead of IPL 2026 clash vs RR

As the IPL 2026 league stage wraps up, the already-eliminated Mumbai Indians (MI) squad has been forced into late roster adjustments following multiple injury setbacks. The franchise has signed Mahipal Lomror and Saurashtra's Ruchit Ahir to replace the sidelined Quinton de Kock and Raj Angad Bawa. Cricbuzz reports revealed that Lomror has been brought on board for INR 50 lakh, while Ahir joins the setup for INR 30 lakh.

MI reveal Quinton de Kock, Raj Angad Bawa's replacements

These squad changes are a matter of formal procedure rather than a playoff push, as Mumbai’s campaign has already hit a definitive dead end. Officially eliminated from the title race, the five-time champions have just one final match remaining on their schedule, a home fixture against the Rajasthan Royals tomorrow, May 24, at the Wankhede Stadium—before wrapping up their season.

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It has been a highly disappointing tournament for the Hardik Pandya-led franchise, which currently sits down at ninth place in the 10-team standings. With an underwhelming record of four wins and nine losses, Mumbai has scraped together just eight points from 13 games, weighed down by a dismal net run rate of -0.510. They are spared from the absolute bottom of the table only by the Lucknow Super Giants, who occupy tenth place due to an even lower net run rate.

"Both Quinton and Raj Bawa will continue their rehab in their respective homes, with support and guidance from the Mumbai Indians medical team to help them return to play as soon as possible. Mumbai Indians wishes them a quick recovery, and will announce replacements as per IPL guidelines," MI's official statement had read.

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Quinton de Kock was officially ruled out for the remainder of the 2026 IPL season after sustaining a tendon injury in his left wrist, an ailment he picked up prior to Mumbai Indians' clash against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 29. In a double blow for the franchise, young all-rounder Raj Bawa was also sidelined for the rest of the tournament after suffering a ligament tear in his right thumb during a match against the Punjab Kings.

What does Mahipal Lomror, Raj Angad Bawa bring to MI's table?

Interestingly, both de Kock and Bawa managed to feature in only three games each for Mumbai Indians this season before their respective campaigns were cut short. Despite his brief stint, the veteran South African wicketkeeper-batsman made a massive impact by smashing an unbeaten 112 against the Punjab Kings on May 14, though he followed it up with modest scores of 13 and 7 in his subsequent appearances.

To fill the void left by de Kock, MI has drafted in Saurashtra's Ruchit Ahir, who is also a wicketkeeper-batsman. Ahir has been turning heads in the domestic circuit and recently put on an impressive display for the Reliance team during the DY Patil T20 Cup earlier this year, making him an exciting addition to the squad.