A little over a year ago, Mumbai Indians pulled off yet another robbery in an IPL final. Rohit Sharma’s men beat MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings by 1 run to clinch their fourth title and become the most successful franchise in the history of the IPL. This after having edged out Rising Pune Supergiant by the same margin in 2017. Crowned champions for the first time in 2013, MI have won the keenly contested tournament every alternate year since then and most of it is centred around a fixed core group of players. MI have had the luxury of fielding some of the best T20 cricketers around the world, who over the years, have been pivotal to the franchise’ record four IPL titles. In our series of IPL’s all-time XI, we bring you MI’s star-studded line-up.
Sachin Tendulkar (M: 78, Runs: 2334, Strike-Rate: 119.81, 100s: 1, 50s: 13)
Right at the top is the great Sachin Tendulkar. Icon player for the Mumbai Indians, Tendulkar, after a quiet couple of seasons, roared to form in the third edition of the IPL, where he finished the tournament with the Orange Cap. His tally of 689 runs with five half-centuries was pivotal in guiding MI into the final, and even though the next year MI couldn’t quite replicate the same run, Tendulkar amassed 553 runs including his maiden IPL century – against Kochi Tuskers Kerala. In what turned out to be his sixth and last edition of the IPL (in 2013), Tendulkar entertained with a knock of 48 against Kolkata Knight Riders that saw him hit Ryan McLaren for five boundaries in a row. The same year MI won their maiden IPL trophy giving Tendulkar a fitting farewell.
Lendl Simmons (M: 29, Runs: 1079, Strike-Rate: 126.64, 100s: 1, 50s: 11)
Remember the semifinal of the 2016 World T20, when a jet-lagged Lendl Simmons blew India out of the tournament with a whirlwind 82 not out? The match was played at the Wankhede Stadium, a venue Simmons is way too familiar with because he’s spent the last three years of his IPL career. In Simmons, MI found the opener they always wanted, and his innings up front provided MI an early tempo almost every time. In his first season, Simmons averaged a solid 56.28 and scored 394 runs in eight matches with a hundred and three fifties. In 2015, when MI secured their second IPL title, Simmons was their leading run-scorer with 540 runs with six half-centuries.
Rohit Sharma (Captain) (M: 143, Runs: 3728, Strike-Rate: 128.82, 100s: 1, 50s: 28)
The skipper, the man whose elevation to captaincy turned MI’s fortunes around. Simply put, Rohit is the heart of the franchise, leading the team to a record four IPL triumphs. He was given charge of the team half-way through the 2013 season, when after a poor start and battling his own shaky form, Ricky Ponting stepped aside from captaincy. From there, MI not only recovered to win the title for the first time, but also completed a double by lifting the Champions League trophy later that year. The years when MI emerged champions – 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019, Rohit has scored 538, 482, 333 and 405 runs, showing supreme leadership quality. Purely on the basis of captaincy, Rohit deserves a place in the all-time XI, let alone the Mumbai Indians.
Ambati Rayudu (Wicketkeeper) (M: 114, Runs: 2416, Strike-Rate: 119.97, 100s: 0, 50s: 14)
The last two years, Ambati Rayudu has been a wonderful resource for the Chennai Super Kings, but long before the batsman wore the yellow of Chennai, he was part of the Blues at MI for eight years. The first three seasons were gold for Rayudu, as he piled 356, 395 and 333 runs for the franchise with eight half-centuries combined. He was the rock in MI’s fragile middle order that longed for a figure it could rally around. In his first year itself, Rayudu was part of one of IPL’s early closely-contested and dramatic matches against Kolkata Knight Riders, when needing four to win off the last ball, the batsman sent a full toss from L Balaji into the crowd and triggered euphoria.
Suryakumar Yadav (M: 31, Runs: 936, Strike-Rate: 131.50, 100s: 0, 50s: 6)
Suryakumar Yadav is a late entry in MI’s setup but remains a deserving candidate for a spot in their all-time XI. His first stint with the franchise lasted three seasons, where he played one match – during the 2012 season before heading to KKR. After spending four seasons there, Yadav returned to MI with aplomb, tallying 512 runs in 14 innings with four fifties. He was equally formidable as an opener and a middle-order batsmen. There have been occasions that when all the batsmen have failed to get going, Yadav has shown resilience. Last season, he finished with 424 runs, in MI’s fourth victorious campaig
Kieron Pollard (M: 148, Runs: 2755, Strike-Rate: 146.77, 100s: 0, 50s: 14)
One of the pillars of MI is Kieron Pollard, who, since his arrival at MI, has bulldozed through bowling attacks. For years, Pollard has been the finisher for MI. The team management’s decision to send Pollard down the order has been heavily debated but it’s a decision that hasn’t backfired for the team. His best innings have arrived batting at No. 6 and 7, and on occasions when he’s batted higher, MI have more often than not reached the target inside 20 overs. 2013 and 2015 remain Pollard’s best seasons, when he scored 420 and 419 runs respectively, and even though the last three seasons, the big-hitting batsman hasn’t fared as well as he’d liked, the allrounder has played memorable innings.
Hardik Pandya (M: 66, Runs: 1068, Strike-Rate: 154.78, Wickets: 42, 50s: 3)
Hardik Pandya remains one of those players who have used the IPL well to launch into the Indian team. Sure, they have been others, but when it comes to how quickly he’s improved or the kind of impact he’s had, no other name comes to mind. He can bat with aggression, can break partnerships and is a livewire in the field. Last season he scored 402 runs with a best of 91 against KKR, which came off just 34 balls, an effort that included nine sixes and one that nearly pulled off an MI win. He has given the team the impetus it has needed in the final overs, offering the team late flourishes while batting first. In Pollard and Pandya, MI enjoy the advantage of having two of the best allrounders in the world.
Harbhajan Singh (M: 136, Wickets: 127, Strike-Rate: 22.49, Five-for: 1, Best: 5/18)
With MI for eight years, Harbhajan was in fact the man who led the franchise to its first ever trophy, the Champions League title in 2011. He was their highest wicket-taker when the team won the trophy in 2013 grabbing 24 wickets in 19 innings. Two years later, Harbhajan was again impressive, claiming 18 wickets at an average of 24.77. The fifth-highest wicket-taker in IPL, Harbhajan holds the record for bowling the most number of dot balls, most of which was for MI.
Mitchell McClenaghan (M: 56, Wickets: 71, Strike-Rate: 17.94, Four-for: 1, Best: 4/21)
New Zealand quick Mitchell McClenaghan has been with MI since 2015 and he, very quietly, has done a remarkable job for the team. In 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, McClenaghan has picked up 18, 17, 19 and 14 wickets respectively, and done so in the presence of fellow pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga. As a matter of fact, McClenaghan pretty much remains a certain starter in the XI and adds further strength to an already formidable MI bowling line-up.
Lasith Malinga (M: 122, Wickets: 170, Strike-Rate: 16.62, Five-for: 1, Four-for: 6 Best: 5/13)
The leading wicket-taker in the history of IPL, Malinga’s pin-point yorkers, change of pace and art of bowling in death makes him a sure-shot in any IPL XI. His best IPL figure reads 5/13 against the Delhi Capitals, and yet that is perhaps not the best memory MI have of him. The ability to bring the team back from the depths is what Malinga is best known for. During last year’s final, Malinga, after being taken for 42 off his first three overs, defended nine off the final over, with a wicket off the last ball helping MI to their fourth IPL crown. Not too long ago, a panel of experts chose Malinga as IPL’s best bowler of all time. After all the years, Malinga is only assured IPL GOAT.
Jasprit Bumrah (M: 77, Wickets: 82, Strike-Rate: 21.12 , Best: 3/7)
The rise of Jasprit Bumrah has been nothing short of phenomenal. It is almost baffling to know that Bumrah had a total of just 11 wickets in his first 17 matches for MI spread across three seasons. But once Bumrah got a taste of international cricket, his IPL graph really took off. With 71 wickets in the last four seasons, Bumrah has been right at the forefront of MI’s title wins in 2017 and 2019 claiming 20 and 19 wickets respectively. With his uncanny ability to hit the blockhole, Bumrah has grown into an unassailable asset of the MI bowling attack with Lasith Malinga by his side.
