IPL 2020: 3 records that are currently held by MI players
The Mumbai Indians (MI) come into the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) as the firm favourites, and this is largely down to the depth that they possess in all departments.
With world-class openers, match-winning all-rounders and dangerous wicket-taking bowlers, MI seem to have all bases covered in IPL 2020. Under Rohit Sharma's astute leadership, they could go all the way to claim their record-extending fifth IPL title.
Over the years in the IPL, some of the greatest players the tournament has ever seen have plied their trade for MI. In this article, we take a look at 3 IPL records that are currently held by MI players.
#3 Lasith Malinga is the leading wicket-taker in IPL history
Lasith Malinga pulled out of IPL 2020 due to personal reasons, and was replaced by Aussie quick James Pattinson. With 170 wickets in 122 games at an economy rate of 7.14, the Sri Lankan speedster is the highest wicket-taker in the history of the league.
Malinga's absence will be felt in IPL 2020 by MI, who are the only franchise that he has played for over the course of his career. In his absence, the likes of Trent Boult, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Mitchell McClenaghan will have to step up and support Jasprit Bumrah.
Malinga is followed by Amit Mishra (157), Harbhajan Singh (150), Piyush Chawla (150) and Dwayne Bravo (147), and apart from the CSK off-spinner, the others could make their way to the top of the highest wicket-takers list.
#2 Rohit Sharma has won the most IPL titles as captain
Despite being a powerhouse in the IPL, MI didn't get very close to the title in their first three seasons. Rohit Sharma, who joined the franchise in 2011, was appointed the captain in the 2013 edition of the IPL, and immediately led the team to their first title with a win over the Chennai Super Kings in the final.
Hitman followed up this feat with titles in 2015, 2017 and 2019, with two wins over the Chennai Super Kings in the final interspersed by one against the Rising Pune Supergiant. Rohit has the second-highest win percentage for a captain in the history of the IPL, behind only former Indian skipper MS Dhoni, who has three titles to his name.
The stylish opener has been so successful in the IPL as a captain that there have even been calls for the Indian captaincy to be split between him and Royal Challengers Bangalore and national team captain Virat Kohli.
However, under Rohit, MI have never managed to defend their title, and will be keen on setting the record straight in IPL 2020.
#1 Hardik Pandya is the only Indian to have scored 400 runs and picked up 10 wickets in an IPL season
With his exploits in IPL 2019, Hardik Pandya became part of an exclusive Indian club - those who have scored 400 runs or more and picked up 10 wickets or more in a single campaign.
With 402 runs at an average of 44.66 and a strike rate of 191.42, the younger Pandya brother tallied his highest run total in a single IPL season by some distance. He also scalped 14 wickets in 16 games, with best figures of 3/20.
Hardik is the backbone of the MI lineup due to his all-round abilities, and he will be crucial to the team's fortunes in IPL 2020.