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Jonny Bairstow joined Mumbai Indians, replacing Ryan Rickelton and is likely to open with Rohit Sharma.
IPL 2025: Mumbai Indians’ Jonny Bairstow (X/MI)
Out of favour England batter Jonny Bairstow joined Mumbai Indians, alongside Richard Gleeson and Charith Asalanka, as of the replacement players for Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton, and Corbin Bosch, who will leave for national duties.
Bairstow could be seen in immediate action in the Eliminator match against the Gujarat Titans in New Chandigarh on Friday and open alongside Rohit Sharma at the top of the order.
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The Englishman would surely be expecting to start the game, having agreed to join the franchise in the middle of the domestic season back home in England.
Bairstow is likely to replace South African opener Ryan Rickelton in the MI XI, serving as the wicket-keeping option for the remainder of their campaign.
“It’s not like MI are at odds about whether to play him or not. Bairstow is an IPL-proven player. He’s come in with this opportunity in very good form for Yorkshire,” former Australia all-rounder Tom Moody was quoted as saying on ESPNcricinfo.
Bairstow IPL Record
Bairstow is aiming for his first IPL match in three years, having last played in the league three years back. Despite being part of the Punjab Kings squad in 2023 and 2024, he did not feature in a single game. The 35-year-old boasts a respectable IPL record, primarily due to his strong performances with the Sunrisers Hyderabad between 2019 and 2021.
In 10 games during the 2019 season, Bairstow scored 445 runs for SRH, including a century and two fifties. His strike rate of 157.14 that season remains his best across four editions in the league. Overall, Bairstow has amassed 1,291 runs in 39 IPL matches, averaging 35.86 and striking at 142.65.
Bairstow is expected to partner with Rohit Sharma, who has endured a difficult season. MI’s top-order struggles have been largely masked by the brilliance of Suryakumar Yadav, who has scored 25-plus runs in every innings and surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most runs for MI in an IPL season.
Bairstow last played a T20 match for the Joburg Super Kings in February. The 35-year-old registered 232 runs in 10 innings for JSK, with a solitary half-century in the 2025 edition.
- Location :
Chandigarh, India, India
- First Published:
