The Mumbai Indians are the best team in the Indian Premier League without a doubt. Mumbai has five IPL titles to their credit, as well as two Champions League T20 titles. No other team in the Indian T20 league comes close to the absolute dominance that the Mumbai team has.
The Mumbai Indians did not make the playoffs in the 2008 and 2009 editions before finishing second in the 2010 IPL. Mumbai had to change captains frequently due to a title drought, injuries, and controversies until Rohit Sharma took over in 2013 and turned the franchise’s fortunes around.
- Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar was named captain of the Mumbai Indians ahead of the start of the inaugural edition of the IPL. However, due to injury, he was unable to lead the team during the first half of the tournament. In 2010, he guided the team to the finals. The team made it to the top four the following year. Sachin Tendulkar stepped down as captain just hours before the start of the 2012 edition of the tournament, and Harbhajan Singh was named his replacement. After that, the legendary batsman never captained Mumbai.
- Harbhajan Singh
Few people are aware that Harbhajan Singh captained the Mumbai Indians during the IPL’s inaugural season. Sachin Tendulkar was injured before the start of the 2008 season, so the Indian spinner was named captain. MI, on the other hand, lost the first four matches under Bhajji’s leadership by relatively large margins. After slapping fellow Indian teammate S Sreesanth in MI’s match against Kings XI Punjab, Harbhajan was suspended for the 2008 IPL season. After Sachin Tendulkar resigned before the tournament in 2012, the off-spinner was given the captaincy baton once more.
- Shaun Pollock
Shaun Pollock took over as captain after Harbhajan Singh was suspended in the 2008 IPL for slapping Sreesanth during a league game against Kings XI Punjab. Before Sachin Tendulkar recovered from injury and took over, Mumbai won six of their six games under Pollock’s leadership. With seven wins and as many losses, the Mumbai Indians finished seventh that season.
- Dwayne Bravo
Dwayne Bravo, who captained the Mumbai Indians for a single match during the first three seasons of the tournament, played for the team during the first three seasons of the tournament. Bravo made history by becoming the first West Indian player to captain an IPL team. In the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, his Mumbai Indians team was defeated by Kolkata Knight Riders by 9 wickets at Eden Gardens in 2010.
- Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting, a legendary batsman, was named captain of the Mumbai Indians in the 2013 edition of the IPL. However, he was dropped from the team due to a poor performance with the bat, and the captaincy was handed over to Rohit Sharma midway through the season. Ricky Ponting returned to the side in 2015 as the franchise’s head coach.
- Rohit Sharma
The arrival of Rohit Sharma has changed Mumbai Indians’ fortunes in the IPL. Sharma has led Mumbai to five IPL titles, making it the most successful franchise in the tournament’s history. Midway through the 2013 season, he took over as captain from Ricky Ponting, and his team went on to win the title. He is the only captain in IPL history to lead his team to five titles.
- Kieron Pollard
For many years, Kieron Pollard has been a vital cog for the Mumbai Indians. He joined the franchise in 2010 and is the franchise’s most capped player. In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard has assumed the captaincy of the team.
