IPL 2025: MI sign Bairstow, Gleeson & Asalanka as replacements for Jacks, Rickleton and Bosch

Mumbai: Mumbai Indians (MI) have picked Jonny Bairstow, Richard Gleeson and Charith Asalanka as replacements for Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch, who are all set to leave for national duties after MI’s last league game on May 26.

The replacement players will be available from the playoffs stage onwards, subject to the Mumbai Indians’ qualification for the knockouts, the statement from the IPL read.

Jacks, who returned to India last week ahead of MI’s last two group-stage games, will not be available for the final stages of the season due to international duty, as he has been named in England’s limited-overs set-up for the West Indies series, clashing with the rearranged knockout stage.

The English allrounder, who featured in 11 of their first 12 matches, contributed 195 runs across nine innings while also chipping in with five wickets through his off-spin. He will be replaced by his England teammate wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow, who will join MI for Rs 5.25 crore.

Bairstow went unsold at November’s mega-auction, and has not played for England in any format since June 2024. He is coming to India after captaining Yorkshire against Surrey at The Oval in the County Championship. He has made 50 IPL appearances across five seasons, previously representing Sunrisers Hyderabad (2019-21) and Punjab Kings (2022 and 2024).

With Rickelton is also set to exit before the playoffs for ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, Bairstow can also offer MI a wicketkeeping option. Rickelton is MI’s second-highest run-scorer this season behind Rohit Sharma, with 336 runs at 30.54 and a strike rate of 153.42 in his 12 innings

English pacer Gleeson, who made his IPL debut last year when he played two matches for Chennai Super Kings as a replacement player, will replace Rickelton at a reserve price of Rs 1 crore.

Meanwhile, Charith Asalanka will come in at a reserve price of Rs 75 lakh for Corbin Bosch, who’s also named in South Africa’s squad for WTC final at Lord’s.

IANS