Bairstow and Gleeson set to replace Jacks and Rickelton at Mumbai Indians

Jonny Bairstow and Richard Gleeson are in advanced talks to sign with Mumbai Indians as temporary replacements for Will Jacks and Ryan Rickelton respectively, if they qualify for the IPL 2025 playoffs in IPL 2025.

Jacks has returned to India ahead of MI's last two group-stage games but will be unavailable for the final stages of the season due to international duty, with England's ODI series against West Indies clashing with the rearranged knockout stage. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Bairstow is in line to replace him for the knockout stages, subject to a No-Object Certificate.

Bairstow went unsold at November's mega-auction, and has not played for England in any format since June 2024. He would travel to India after captaining Yorkshire against Surrey at The Oval in the County Championship this week, and would likely miss one Championship match and two T20 Blast fixtures if his IPL deal comes through.

Bairstow has made 50 IPL appearances across five seasons, previously representing Sunrisers Hyderabad (2019-21) and Punjab Kings (2022 and 2024). He has an impressive record in the league, averaging 34.54 and striking at 144.45, and has scored two IPL hundreds - one of them in a record-breaking run chase at Eden Gardens last year. With Rickelton also set to exit before the playoffs, Bairstow will offer MI a wicketkeeping option, too.

Jacks has been a mainstay for MI this season, playing 11 of their first 12 group-stage games. He has scored 195 runs in nine innings and taken five wickets with his offbreaks. He also won Player-of-the-Match awards in their home wins against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants.

Rickelton, along with his compatriot Corbin Bosch, is also set to miss the playoffs, with Cricket South Africa requesting members of their World Test Championship final squad to return home by May 27. 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.

Gleeson, 37, made his IPL debut last year when he played two matches for Chennai Super Kings as a replacement player. He is on a white-ball contract with his county, Warwickshire, and will miss their opening two T20 Blast fixtures if his deal with MI is confirmed.

MI sit fourth in the points table ahead of their final two group-stage fixtures, against Delhi Capitals (May 21) and Punjab Kings (May 26). They went on a six-match winning streak after a slow start to the season, but were narrowly beaten by Gujarat Titans in their most recent match before the IPL was suspended due to cross-border India-Pakistan tensions.