Jonny Bairstow is nearing a deal to join Mumbai Indians, as Bairstow Replaces Jacks temporarily if MI reaches the IPL 2025 play-offs. Will Jacks, back for MI’s final two group-stage matches, will miss the knockouts due to England’s ODI series against West Indies, conflicting with the rescheduled playoff dates, necessitating Jacks’ International Duty.
Bairstow Replaces Jacks, per ESPNcricinfo, pending a No-Objection Certificate, bolstering MI’s Playoff Squad Adjustment with Bairstow’s IPL Return for the crucial stages.
Bairstow has not played for England in any capacity since June 2024 and was not sold at the November mega-auction. After leading Yorkshire against Surrey at The Oval in the County Championship this week, he would head to India. If his IPL contract is finalized, he would probably miss one Championship game and two T20 Blast matches.
Bairstow has hsi won 50 IPL entries in all five seasons. He represented Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2019-21 and Punjab Kings in 2022-24. He left his impressive stats behind in the Indian league. He averages at 34.54 and strikes at 144.45, in addition he scored two hundreds too.
Of them was record breaker during thier rum chase at Eden Gardens last year.
Will Jacks, who has played 11 of 12 group-stage games for the Mumbai Indians in the 2025 Indian Premier League, is replaced by Bairstow due to an international duty call. He demonstrated Jacks‘ all-around impact by taking five wickets with his off-spin and scoring 195 runs in nine innings.
MI’s playoff push was fueled by his Player-of-the-Match performances in their home victories over the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Lucknow Super Giants. Jacks has now been replaced by Bairstow, who will play a crucial role in preserving MI’s chances of winning the knockout tournament.
Ahead of their final two group-stage games against the Delhi Capitals (May 21) and Punjab Kings (May 26), MI is currently ranked fourth in the standings. After a sluggish start to the season, they went on a six-match winning streak. However, their most recent game before the IPL was suspended because of tensions between India and Pakistan across the border ended in a narrow defeat to the Gujarat Titans.
Both Corbin Bosch and Ryan Rickelton were selected in South Africa’s 15-man squad for the World Test Championship final next month and Bairstow replaced Jacks, so MI is also prepared to lose both players for the playoffs.
