Mayank Markande's 0.06 projected WAR per match tells you his ceiling: depth spinner, not match-winner. Across 1406 bowling balls in T20 cricket, he has produced a raw WAR/M of 0.06, with nearly all of his value coming from bowling (0.03 bowling WAR) rather than batting (0.00 batting WAR).

What the Numbers Say

The sample is modest but not trivial. 447 T20 balls give us enough to form a directional read, and that read is: functional but not impactful. His xImpact score of 28 ranks last among Mumbai Indians' bowling options, below Ashwani Kumar (42) and well behind the frontline attack.

Markande's role profile slots him firmly into middle overs spin. 85% of his bowling balls come in overs 7-15, where he posted a 8.0 economy. That is a useful number. The problem is scale: he rarely bowls outside that window, and when he does reach the death (12% of deliveries), his economy balloons. His IPL confidence rating sits at 0.69, reflecting a player with enough data to project but not enough to project with certainty.

Squad Context

Mumbai's spin cupboard runs deep. Mitchell Santner (projected 0.44 WAR/M), Will Jacks' part-time off-spin, and Atharva Ankolekar all sit ahead of Markande in the pecking order. He is the fourth-choice spinner on a roster that typically plays two.

That means Markande's path to the XI runs through injury or tactical overload. If Wankhede's surface demands a third spin option, or if Santner rotates out of an away fixture, Markande becomes the call. Otherwise, he carries the water bottles.

Projection

Our model projects 0.06 WAR per match for IPL 2026, roughly 0.07 below the replacement-level threshold of 0.13. The regression pulls his raw number up slightly, but not enough to change the verdict: Markande is a development asset who needs to improve his economy outside the middle overs to earn consistent selection.

The honest assessment: a solid IPL squad member who extends Mumbai's spin depth without moving the needle on match outcomes.