USA Captain Monank Patel on Mumbai Indians Radar for the IPL 2026 Auction

Who is Monank Patel?

Let us now first see who Monank Patel is. Monank Patel is a Gujarat-born cricketer who aspires to become an international player at some stage. But, due to fewer opportunities in India, he moved to the USA to pursue his dream of playing international cricket. He went on to play international cricket for the USA, but there was a time when he was uncertain about his future in cricket.

Monank Patel came from a cricket-loving family. His father and his uncle used to play cricket at a district level. The baton was passed, and Monank found interest in cricket. He played for the Anand U-15 team in the tournament held by the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA). The right-handed wicketkeeper batter played some brilliant knocks of 144 and 166 against Surat and Bharuch, respectively. He came into the limelight after performing well at the district level. Unfortunately, he did not get a chance to represent the Gujarat Senior State Team.

Monank Patel Moved To the USA for Better Opportunities

In 2014, Monank Patel decided to leave India to pursue professional cricket in the USA. It was a very tough decision to make as there was no guarantee of playing international cricket. But he took a risk and earned a place in the USA’s international side, thanks to the USA’s new T20 league called Major League Cricket (MLC). He performed well in the MLC and was seen as a potential player for the USA’s national side.

On March 15, 2019, in Dubai, Monank made his debut international game in a T20I against the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He has since participated in 43 T20I matches, scoring 920 runs, and 67 ODI matches, scoring 2192 runs. The wicketkeeper batter also has four international hundreds to his name. He has scored three hundreds in ODIs and one in T20Is.

Monank Patel on MI’s Radar for the IPL 2026 Auction

Monank Patel could live his dream of playing professional cricket in India. As per the reports, Monank Patel could be on MI’s radar for the IPL 2026 auction. The wicketkeeper batter, who is a part of the MI New York franchise in the MLC, has been doing well with the bat for the last year or so. In the ongoing MLC 2025, he has scored 267 runs in 5 innings at an average of 53.40 and a strike rate of 165.84. He played a knock of 93 runs against Seattle Orcas, which is the highest score by a USA batter in the MLC history (as of June 25, 2025).

Monank’s ability to play long innings and to play at a higher strike rate could catch the eyes of the MI’s scout-hunting team. If he continues to do well, he might feature in the IPL 2026. MI New York is a part of the Mumbai Indians franchise, and their team will keep watching how Monank Patel has been doing at a professional level. IPL is something a very big cricketer wants to play. If MI picks Monank in the IPL 2026 auction, his brand value will also go up. He will get a tag of an IPL player.

Monank Patel’s Other Achievements

Monank Patel became the captain of the USA team in 2021. He led the team to the Super 8 stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Under his leadership, the USA defeated Pakistan and Canada in the tournament. He led from the front in an important Pakistan game, where he scored a half-century while opening the innings. The USA managed to tie the game and eventually won in a Super Over.

The USA has also found a direct entry in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, which will take place in India. Based on the USA’s T20 WC 2024 performance, they have qualified for the next edition directly.

All-and-all, it will be a dream-come-true moment for Monank Patel if he plays in the IPL. Especially for a team like MI, which has been one of the most successful teams in the history of the IPL. Let’s see how things panned out.