Former South African captain AB de Villiers has opined that Trent Boult’s form can be a worry for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026. AB reckons the New Zealand fast bowler is not as sharp as he used to be from the 2018 to 2020 season.
Boult was Mumbai Indians’ leading wicket-taker in IPL 2025 as he scalped 22 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 23.50 and an economy rate of 8.96.
The left-arm seamer has scalped 143 wickets in 120 IPL matches in his career so far. AB said Boult has been a bit expensive over the last few years, which is concerning for MI.
AB de Villiers said on his YouTube Channel, “The one worry for me is Trent Boult. It’s similar to a Bhuvi situation, where he has lost a yard. He is not as spicy as he was from 2018 to 2020. He seems to be more expensive over the last while. MI probably feel they have a lot of insurance there, but maybe it’s a false sense of security. It could be an area some of the opposition batters will target.”
On the other hand, former Indian opener Abhinav Mukund said MI have a lot of players in form ahead of the upcoming season.
“They’ve got a lot of players in form, which is what makes them scary. De Kock will relish being in Mumbai, playing at the Wankhede Stadium, after a couple of bad seasons with LSG and KKR. I don’t think Shardul has a place in the side because it’s so packed in there with Boult, Bumrah, and Chahar. They’ve got plenty of options and look very good on paper,” said Mukund (via the aforementioned source).
Mumbai Indians will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium on 29th March.
