Ranking MI's 3 greatest all-rounders of all time

The most successful franchise in the history of the IPL, the Mumbai Indians (MI), will be raring to go when the 16th edition of the tournament gets underway. After a disappointing IPL 2022 that saw them finish at the bottom of the table, MI will want to go back to finishing in the top four.

They've won the IPL on five occasions, beating Chennai Super Kings in the final thrice — 2013, 2015, and 2019, beating Rising Pune Super Giants in 2017, and defeating Delhi Capitals to win their most recent title in 2020.

A crucial part of their success has been their terrific scouting, recruitment, and team-building which has seen them unearth plenty of stars with great potential in addition to constructing a well-balanced squad. The heft they possessed with their middle-order batting and the versatile bowling options their all-rounders provided them were another noticeable factor.

In a format like T20s, all-rounders have become all the more valuable to every team and MI have the best of the best in terms of all-rounders. Let's take a look at their three greatest all-rounders of all time:

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#3 Krunal Pandya

The elder of the Pandya brothers, Krunal Pandya was another one of MI's finds who shined for them across multiple seasons. The left-arm spinner was a quality all-rounder who was accurate with the ball, very handy with the bat and dynamite on the field.

Signed by MI for ₹2 Crores in the IPL 2016 Auction, Krunal had a stellar season with the bat, scoring close to 250 runs at an average of 39.50 and a strike rate of 191.12. Over the course of the season, even as his batting average dipped, he became a valuable bowler for the side, with his quick and accurate left-arm spin perfectly suited to the T20 format.

After six long seasons with the team, MI had to release Krunal ahead of the IPL 2022 Mega Auction, and this time, they couldn't buy him back, with LSG snapping him up for ₹8.25 Crores. He had a stellar time at MI, winning three IPL trophies, including the IPL 2017 title, which should be credited mostly to him due to his match-winning performance in the final against RPSG.

He scored 1143 runs and picked up 51 wickets in 84 matches for MI, becoming a perfect utility player for the five-time IPL winners.

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#2 Hardik Pandya

The more flamboyant and destructive of the Pandya brothers, Hardik Pandya signed for the Mumbai Indians one season before his elder brother did. Picked up by MI in the IPL 2015 Auction for ₹10 Lakhs, Hardik was an instant success, becoming an instrumental part of their title-winning campaign.

Hardik became one of the most dangerous batters to bowl to in the IPL while also turning into a very handy seam bowler. Barring a very disappointing IPL 2016, he has impressed in nearly every other IPL campaign for MI, scoring 1476 runs in 92 games, scoring at a strike rate of 153.91. He also picked up 42 wickets and became a vital strike bowler for the side.

Hardik signed an agreement to become the Gujarat Titans captain ahead of the IPL 2022 season and bid adieu to MI after seven seasons there.

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#1 Kieron Pollard

A player so fiercely loyal and passionate, Kieron Pollard is one of the best T20 all-rounders, let alone for the Mumbai Indians.

An all-rounder in the truest sense, Pollard has single-handedly been the cause of so many of MI's victories, either with the bat, the ball, or even with his stellar fielding.

One of the best boundary-hitters in the league, Pollard is the second-highest run-scorer in Mumbai Indians' history, scoring 3412 runs in 171 innings at a strike rate of 147.32. He has also always been a handy bowling option with his medium pace, picking up 69 wickets in 189 matches.

Joining MI in IPL 2010, Pollard represented the team for 13 consecutive seasons before deciding to retire from the IPL and join MI as their batting coach ahead of IPL 2023. He's undoubtedly MI's best all-rounder of all time.