West Indies all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford is set to represent the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL 2026 season following a successful trade from the Gujarat Titans (GT), the Indian Premier League confirmed on Thursday. Acquired by by the Titans for a fee of Rs 2.6 crore, Rutherford will move to MI at his existing fee.
The 27-year-old has featured in 44 T20Is for the West Indies and holds the record for the highest sixth-wicket partnership in T20Is, having stitched together a 139-run stand with Andre Russell against Australia in Perth.
Rutherford has played 23 IPL matches so far, having earlier represented Delhi Capitals in 2019 and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2022. He was part of the MI squad in 2020 and the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2024, but did not feature in the playing XI during those seasons.
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The Rutherford trade comes on the same day that the Mumbai Indians acquired Mumbai lad Shardul Thakur from the Lucknow Super Giants.
After going unsold in the auction before the IPL 2025 edition, the 34-year-old Thakur, who hails from Palghar on the outskirts of suburban Mumbai, was picked up by the Lucknow Super Giants for Rs 2 crore as an injury replacement for the 18th edition of the league and featured in 10 games. There, Thakur started the season with a bang, even holding the Purple Cap for leading wicket-taker at one point. He finished the season with 13 wickets from 10 matches but was expensive, going at 11.03 runs per over.
Overall in the IPL, he has played 105 games, taking 107 wickets, along with a highest score of 68.
Shardul Thakur had previously turned out for five different teams – CSK in two stints, either side of playing for Punjab Kings, Rising Pune Supergiants, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders.
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“What is important for me is to keep playing matches and perform,” Thakur told PTI recently when asked about his future in the white-ball format playing for India. “To get back into the Indian team, I also need to keep having those good, match-winning performances, which is eventually going to help in the selection. And, yes, the ODI World Cup is also in South Africa so there might be a place open for a bowling all-rounder at No. 8. I am, of course, eyeing that spot. Whenever the Indian team needs me or whenever I am selected, I am ready to play international cricket. My preparation is such that if tomorrow I am asked to play international cricket, I am ready,” he said.
