IPL History: Mumbai Indians’ team of the decade

All-rounders: Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, and Krunal Pandya

Kieron Pollard (Picture courtesy: iplt20.com/BCCI)

All-rounders are the backbone of Mumbai Indians, and it is often because of them that the franchise has come out of many a tricky situation. The trio of Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya can be used as floaters in the batting order.

Pollard, the current West Indies skipper, has represented MI from 2010 to present, and has 3,258 runs in 170 matches at a strike rate of 146.49. He has 16 fifties to his name. Pollard smashed an unbeaten 41 from 25 in the 2019 final. He also starred in the 2013 final triumph, scoring an unbeaten 60 from 32. Pollard has 66 wickets to his name at a strike rate of 21.5, and is a brilliant fielder to boot.

Hardik Pandya (Picture courtesy: iplt20.com/BCCI)

As for the Pandya brothers, both can turn games with bat and ball. Having first represented Mumbai in 2015, Hardik has 1,068 runs to his name at a strike rate of 154.78, with three fifties. With the ball, he has claimed 42 wickets at a strike rate of 20.6. Hardik smashed 402 runs at an incredible strike rate of 191.42 in MI’s 2019 title triumph.

With his medium pace, he picked up 14 wickets at a strike rate of 18.21 in the same year. His arrival gave Mumbai the x-factor they were desperately seeking.

Krunal Pandya (Picture courtesy: iplt20.com/BCCI)

Krunal, on the other hand, has 891 runs in 55 games at at strike rate of 146.06, with one solitary fifty (2016-2019). He was the man of the match in the 2017 final for his 47 runs from 38 balls, and economical figures of 0 for 31. Krunal has claimed 40 wickets in IPL at a strike rate of 23.6.

He has contributed over 200 runs with the bat in each edition from 2016-2018, his primary job being that of getting quick runs at the end of an innings. With his left-arm spin, he claimed 12 wickets at a strike rate of 20.08 in 2018 edition, and as many in the 2019 edition.