Who Is Krish Bhagat? All-Rounder Picked By Mumbai Indians As Replacement Of Atharva Ankolekar In IPL 2026

As the Indian Premier League 2026 season reached its mid-way point, the Mumbai Indians (MI) had made a forced move to bolster both their batting and bowling department by signing Jalandhar-born all-rounder Krish Bhagat.

Bhagat entered the squad as a replacement for the talented slow left-arm orthodox bowler Atharva Ankolekar. Ankolekar was ruled out for the remainder of the season after sustaining a severe injury, creating a void in the team’s domestic bowling depth.

By bringing in Bhagat, MI has opted for a pace-bowling all-rounder profile to provide more balance to the lower order and variety in the middle overs.

Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2026 campaign has gotten off to a disastrous start, with the five-time champions languishing at the bottom of the points table. After a narrow victory over KKR in their season opener, the Hardik Pandya-led side has spiraled into a four-match losing streak, including heavy defeats to RR and PBKS.

The team's primary concerns lie in a misfiring core; Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult are uncharacteristically wicketless, while Suryakumar Yadav has struggled for consistency. With a poor Net Run Rate of -1.076, MI faces an uphill battle to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Who Is Krish Bhagat?

Born on November 6, 2004, in Jalandhar, Punjab, Krish comes from a family deeply rooted in business and public service—he is the nephew of Jalandhar West MLA Mohinder Bhagat.

Despite being the first in his household to pursue professional sports, he found unwavering support in his mother, who encouraged him to pick up a cricket bat at the age of six. He began honing his skills at local academies in Jalandhar, steadily climbing through school and club-level cricket.

Bhagat’s journey was nearly derailed early on by a life-altering spinal cord injury. Demonstrating immense resilience, he underwent rigorous rehabilitation to return to the field. He faced further heartbreak when an injury forced him to miss the Under-19 World Cup camp after being selected.

However, he bounced back by stamping his authority in age-group cricket, notably picking up 30 wickets in the Colonel C.K. Nayudu Trophy and scoring over 500 runs in the Cooch Behar Trophy.

In the domestic circuit, the right-arm medium-fast bowler has been a vital asset for Punjab. He gained attention during the 2025–26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he claimed nine wickets and smashed a vital 51 against Uttarakhand.

His First-Class debut followed in the Ranji Trophy, where he showcased his ability to contribute as a lower-order batter.

Before his official signing, Bhagat spent two years in the Mumbai Indians’ scouting system, serving as a support bowler. He also impressed the MI management while playing for the Reliance team in the 2026 DY Patil T20 Cup.

The MI management was reportedly impressed by his ability to generate pace and his proven resilience after recovering from the major spinal injury earlier in his career.