Who is Mayank Rawat? 5 interesting facts about MI's new signing at IPL 2026 auction

Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) bought five players at the IPL 2026 auction, including uncapped Delhi all-rounder Mayank Rawat. The 26-year-old was acquired at his base price of ₹30 lakh during the auction held on December 16.

Mayank recently represented Delhi in the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), featuring in just two matches, where he scored 12 runs and bowled only one over. Meanwhile, Delhi failed to progress to the Super Group stage under the leadership of Nitish Rana.

However, despite limited opportunities in domestic cricket, Mumbai Indians went ahead and acquired the all-rounder. On that note, here’s a look at some interesting facts about MI’s new signing from the IPL 2026 auction.

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#1 Played a major role in helping East Delhi Riders win the 2024 Delhi Premier League (DPL) title

Mayank Rawat played a pivotal role in East Delhi Riders’ title-winning campaign in the 2024 Delhi Premier League (DPL). The 26-year-old featured in 10 matches, scoring 289 runs in seven innings at an impressive average of 72.25 and a strike rate of 190.13, including three half-centuries, with a highest score of 78.

The off-spinner was equally effective with the ball, picking up 11 wickets in nine innings at an average of 16.64, a strike rate of 14.18, and an economy rate of 7.04, underlining his all-round brilliance.

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#2 Mayank Rawat has played just one first-class match so far

The Delhi cricketer made his first-class debut in the Ranji Trophy in October 2024, featuring in a match against Tamil Nadu at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. While the game ended in a draw, Mayank Rawat endured a forgettable outing, registering ducks in both innings.

With the ball, he bowled 50 overs, conceded 194 runs, and remained wicketless. This remains the 26-year-old’s only appearance in first-class cricket so far.

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#3 Made his T20 debut for Delhi alongside the likes of Ishant Sharma and under the leadership of an LSG player

Mayank Rawat made his T20 debut for Delhi in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy against Uttar Pradesh at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. The team was captained by current Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) all-rounder Ayush Badoni and also featured veteran Ishant Sharma.

Delhi won the match by 47 runs after posting 233, highlighted by a brilliant 102-run innings from Priyansh Arya. Mayank did not get a chance to bat and bowled just one over, conceding 12 runs. Overall, he has played 11 T20s, scoring 114 runs at an average of 28.50 with a strike rate of 122.58, and has taken five wickets.

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#4 Names Mumbai Indians as his favourite IPL team

Earlier this year, during an interview with IndiaTV Cricket, when asked about which team he would love to play for in the IPL, Mayank Rawat said:

“Mumbai Indians has always been my favourite team, so I would like to go to that team.”

The 26-year-old’s wish has now come true, as he was bought by MI in the IPL 2026 auction.

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#5 Calls Australian batter his favourite player

During the same interview, Mayank Rawat named veteran Australian batter Steve Smith as his favourite cricketer. Among Indian players, he picked Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer, and he shared:

“Yes, I mean my favourite player is Steve Smith. But if I talk about the Indian team, then recently my favourite player is Shreyas Iyer. His attitude and the way he carries himself on the field give me a lot to learn from.”

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen how the Delhi all-rounder will perform for Mumbai Indians if given a chance in IPL 2026.

Edited by Dev Sharma