Three biggest reasons behind Mumbai Indians’ success

During the initial years of the IPL, Mumbai Indians were one of the worst teams in the tournament. They failed to win any titles and proved to be a big disappointment for their fans. However, once Rohit Sharma decided to shoulder the captain’s responsibilities of the team in 2013, their fortunes took a dramatic turn, and now they have the distinction of being the most successful team in the IPL history.

Bringing good players

Mumbai Indians have the reputation of being a slow starter in the IPL. However, that was not the case during the 2020 campaign when they put together a good run from the beginning of the tournament. After claiming nine victories out of 14 matches, Mumbai easily topped the table and qualified for the playoffs. And their impressive performances continued in the knockout stages and they ultimately went on to lift the IPL trophy.

They faced Delhi Capitals in the final and easily defeated their rivals by five wickets. With Trent Boult in amazing form, Delhi could only reach 156 runs in 20 overs. Skipper Rohit Sharma made the chase very easy by scoring 68 runs, and he was helped in this by Ishan Kishan who contributed 33 runs. Thus, Mumbai once again emerged victorious.

Good recruitment was one of the biggest reasons for the successes of the Rohit Sharma led side in 2020. They brought in Trent Boult and James Pattinson who both proved to be very handy bowlers, making good contributions to the successes of Mumbai. The franchise also could boast some very good overseas cricketers such as Mitchell McClenaghan and Coulter Nile.

Data analysis

Mumbai Indians have understood the virtues of data analysis to improve results. They are better at using numbers more than any other IPL side. They try to improve recruitment, selection and tactics with the help of data analysis. The franchise tries to come up with the best strategy by the smart use of data.

According to popular journalist Tim Wigmore:

“They (Mumbai) have got a very good idea of how to assemble a team because they’ve used data to establish the best strategy. Then they have a really strong scouting system that allows them to chase all of the most undervalued domestic talent.

“It’s a bit of a myth that you want to get the best overseas players – you actually want the players that add the most value to the team, which is dependant on which local players are available.”

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma is one of the best batsmen in the world. For cricket fans, the 34-year-old is a joy to watch. Watching the cricketer play is more exciting than watching even the best strikers in Premier League history. The naturally gifted batsman has three ODI double centuries to his name, a feat that has not achieved by any other cricketer in the world.

During his first three seasons of IPL, Rohit was on the books of Deccan Chargers. He was impressive for the franchise and played an important role in helping them win the 2009 title.

Since 2011, Rohit has been associated with Mumbai Indians. He was made the team’s captain in 2013 and that same year he led his side to IPL victory. The Hitman proved his abilities both as a captain and a batsman over the following years.

Despite winning just a match from their first six matches, Mumbai Indians managed to win the trophy in 2015 under the leadership of Rohit. The franchise lifted three more trophies in 2017, 2018 and 2020 to become the most successful team in the history of the IPL.