3 reasons why Mumbai Indians is the most successful franchise in IPL history
One of the most decorated teams in Indian Premier League (IPL) history, Mumbai Indians have four titles to their name (2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019). The team has appeared in IPL finals five times, and has won four of them under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma.
Mumbai Indians clinched their maiden title in 2013 by defeating Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs, followed by a 41-run victory against the same team in the 2015 final.
They became the first team to hold three titles in IPL history by triumphing against Rising Pune Supergiant by a single run in the 2017 final. They repeated the feat against CSK to capture their fourth IPL trophy last year.
Mumbai Indians built their squad around legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Sanath Jayasuriya in the first few seasons of the tournament. As the team started to pick success, they unearthed some world-class cricketers in Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.
MI has been one of the most consistent sides in the league's history, producing match-winners in their line-up season after season. Let's take a look at three reasons why Mumbai Indians have been so successful.
#3 Building a balanced squad for the long-term with a strong core
Mumbai Indians have always tried to put together a good mix of youth and experience in the auction, with foolproof planning. Whether it is recruiting hard-hitters in the opening slots or going for young off-spinners and leggies, they have stuck to their plans every year.
MI have persisted with Kieron Pollard and the Pandya brothers for finishing matches over the years. Meanwhile, the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan have played the role of bridging the gap in the middle overs to consolidate the innings.
In the bowling department, MI make it a point to rope in swift overseas pacers who can bowl at the death as well as with the new ball. They have repeatedly shown faith in Lasith Malinga, who has 170 wickets in 122 matches for the team. And Jasprit Bumrah has been a sensational find; he is now the backbone of their line-up.
Mumbai Indians have enjoyed success with their belief in the core players, even if those players didn't always live up to the expectations. The likes of Pollard and Mitchell McClenaghan have stuck with the side for a long time now, and have delivered in crucial situations. This continuity has been vital in their IPL journey thus far.
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