5 most memorable innings by Mumbai Indians batters

Mumbai Indians have been the most successful franchise in the Indian Premier League. The ultimate fan-favorite team has won the trophy 5 times, being the only team to do so. However, a lot has gone into making the franchise what it is today. 

Today, we’ll have a look at 5 such innings, that MI fans will never forget:

1. Ishan Kishan’s 99 against Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2020

Going down as one of the greatest IPL games ever, this game is the definition of Ishan Kishan’s very character. Chasing down a mammoth total of 202 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, MI had lost their top 3 for 39 inside 7 overs. 

Ishan Kishan came in to bat when MI were 2 for 16. Kishan’s first innings was to stabilize the innings and avoid the batting order from crumbling down like a pile of cards. Kishan held down one end while wickets kept tumbling from the other. When Hardik’s wicket fell, Mumbai’s score was 78, and they needed 124 from 8.4 overs. 

A defeat seemed inevitable for MI. That’s when Kishan took the matter into his hands. He got the support of Kieron Pollard and the duo started a free flow of strokes despite the circumstances. Kishan’s ‘nothing to lose’ attitude and Pollard’s brilliant strokeplay put the pressure back on RCB bowlers and the momentum suddenly started to shift. 

MI crossed the 150-run mark in 17.1 overs, needing another 50-odd runs in 17 deliveries. Ishan and Pollard continued their strokeplay and took the match to the very final over. MI needed 19 to win, RCB needed to just stall. It all came down to the last two balls, with MI requiring 5 to win. Ishan was batting on 99, and a hundred was most definitely on the cards when the anomaly happened. Kishan had hit the previous delivery for a six over long-on and was trying to replicate the same when he was caught by Devdutt Paddikal at the boundary ropes. 

Kishan got out just 1 short of his century. However, Pollard hit the final ball for four, ending the innings in a tie. RCB defeated Mumbai in the super-over nonetheless but it was Kishan and Pollard’s joint effort that sparked life in a rather one-sided affair. 

2. Rohit Sharma’s 109* against Kolkata Knight Riders, 2012

This was a special game not only for Mumbai Indians but for the Indian team as well, for it marked the beginning of Rohit Sharma, the man, the myth, the legend. This match also marked the beginning of Rohit’s love for Eden Gardens. 

Winning the toss, Mumbai’s captain Harbhajan Singh decided to bat first on a good-looking surface. Mumbai had made a personnel change in the form of South African opener Herschelle Gibbs, who was playing his first game of the season. Gibbs opened the batting with Sachin Tendulkar. 

Mumbai lost an early wicket in the form of Sachin Tendulkar after KKR’s keeper Manvinder Bisla caught him off guard trying to hit Shakib over the top and stumped him. Mumbai’s score was 15 runs in 2.2 overs and it was time for Rohit Sharma to walk down the crease. 

Rohit looked confident right from the start and didn’t let the KKR bowlers settle at all. Rohit slowly build his innings and once he was comfortable enough, lashed an all-out attack on KKR. Soon, Rohit had completed his fifty in just 29 balls. 

Rohit continued to attack while Gibbs held down one end. Rohit completed his century in just 52 balls with the help of 11 fours and 5 sixes. Rohit finished his innings at 109 not out, and MI scored 182 for the loss of just one wicket. 

In reply, KKR could only get to 155 in 20 overs and lost the game by 27 runs. This game broke KKR’s streak of being undefeated in 7 games. 

3. Keiron Pollard’s 87* vs Chennai Super Kings, 2021

A high-scoring game, this match went down as the second-highest chase in the history of IPL so far. Winning the toss, Mumbai decided to bowl first and it turned out to be a nightmare of a decision. 

Batting first, Chennai lost a quick wicket in the form of Ruturaj Gaikwad. Despite that, 

Faf and Moeen Ali continued hitting big shots and soon put up 108 runs for the second wicket in just under 11 overs. Ambati Rayudu landed the final blow with his 72 off just 27 balls and Chennai finished at 218 for 4. 

Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Cock took the opening guard for Mumbai Indians. The duo put up 71 in just 7.1 overs before Sharma was removed by Shardul Thakur. With one, came the others, and soon Mumbai’s score was 3 for 81 in 9.4 overs. That’s when Pollard walked in. 

Pollard started slowly, trying to avoid the falling of wickets. He was careful for a couple of overs, trying to just defend and rotate strike. The rampage started in the 13th over, when Pollard hit Jadeja for 3 sixes. Mumbai ended the over at 114 runs for 3 wickets, requiring 105 runs to win from 7 overs at 15 runs per over. 

Pollard continued to take on all bowlers, be it Ngidi, Curran, or Shardul. It all came down to the final over of the game. MI needed 16 to win off the final over, and Pollard and Dhawal Kulkarni were on strike. Ngidi tried to bowl a yorker but ended up giving away a low full-toss. However, Keiron Pollard was not able to capitalize on it and the ball went to the square-leg fielder. 

There was a run on offer, but Pollard knew Kulkarni won’t be able to do the impossible. The second and third balls went for fours. MI needed 8 off 3 now.  Ngidi bowled yet another yorker and Pollard missed it again. Ngidi tried something similar the next ball but this time, but Pollard was smart this time. He rifled the ball away to deep square leg and it sailed past the boundary ropes for a six. 

This meant MI needed 2 runs off the last ball. Pollard hit the ball and blindly ran. Kulkarni and he were able to get those two runs, meaning MI had won the game by 4 wickets. Pollard became immortal in the history books with his 87 not out in 34 balls. He was awarded the Player of the match for his brilliance that included 2 wickets with the ball as well. 

4. Hardik Pandya’s 91 vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 2019

Even though Hardik is no longer associated with the franchise, one can not neglect the contributions he made to the franchise over the years. One such unforgettable moment happened back in 2019 when Hardika almost made the impossible happen. 

KKR and MI’s encounters are always special and this one was no different. It was the 47th game of the 2019 season and after winning the toss MI decided to bowl first. Kolkata made a gigantic score of 232, all thanks to the fifties by their openers and a brilliant 80 from 40 balls by Andre Russell.

Coming to chase, MI lost both their openers inside the powerplay, and in at 3 Evin Lewis the first ball after the powerplay.  When the 4th wicket fell for MI in the 9th over, it was Pandya’s turn to take guard. The team was reeling at 58 for 4 in 8.2 overs and required another 175 runs in just 70 balls. 

A defeat was on the cards for MI, and it was only a game of surviving all 20 overs for them. However, Hardik had some plans of his own. To his merry, his Partner at the other end was Kieron Pollard, who, just like Hardik, knew only one way of playing. 

Hardik targeted the KKR spinners, Narine and Piyush Chawla, and didn’t let them settle in. He took both the spinners for a ride and soon smashed a fifty in just 17 deliveries with 1 four and 7 sixes. Whatever the KKR bowlers were throwing Hardik’s way, it was being sent right out of the ground. 

Soon, Pollard got out but Hardik continued the show. Mumbai went past the 150-run mark in just 15.3 overs, and at that point, it felt like Hardik had turned the game MI’s way. But soon, Hardik’s innings was ended by the English fast bowler, Harry Gurney. 

Hardik was trying to hit a slower one from Gurney over deep mid-wicket where he was caught by Andre Russell. Hardik ended his innings at 91 from 34 balls and gave the fans a show to watch in what was starting to look like a one-sided affair. 

5. Corey Anderson’s 95 vs Rajasthan Royals, 2014

Of all the matches MI have ever played, this one, in particular, was the most special and spectacular one. Played way back in 2014, this was a must-win game for MI, and that too, with specific terms and conditions attached. Had MI lost this one, they would have been ruled out of the tournament altogether. 

It was MI’s final game of the league stage. Having won the toss, MI decided to field first, which meant that whatever score RR put, MI had to chase it down in under 14.3 overs, or else they would be kicked out of the tournament. Batting first, RR put up a score of 189 for the loss of 4 wickets, credits to quickfire fifties from Sanju Samson and Karun Nair.

Chasing down a total of 190 in such short a time was a near to impossible task. However, MI’s fans were in for a treat. MI lost their opener, Lendl Simmons, in the second over, and it seemed like all was lost. But, then came MI’s savior, Corey Anderson. 

Anderson was in no mood to waste any time and got to business straight away. On his first two balls, he hit Watson for a four and a six. This sent a message to the entire Rajasthan camp that Anderson was in no mood to joke today. Anderson kept on piling runs while the wicket kept tumbling at the other end. Nonetheless, MI’s run rate was still very high. 

MI got to their hundred in just 8.4 overs, credit to a fast 50 by Anderson, off just 25 balls. By the time the 12th over ended, Mumbai had already gone past 150 runs and required 33 off 15 balls in order to qualify for the playoffs. Rayudu and Anderson were looking very strong and a qualification was in sight for the Mumbai Indians. 

However, when Mumbai needed 2 to win off 1 ball (14.3 overs), Rayudu got run out, and it was given as just one run. All hopes for Mumbai were lost. But then, a message came from the dressing room that if the coming ball was hit for a boundary,, Mumbai would still qualify. But, the trouble was that it was Aditya Tare on strike, who was facing his first ball of the game. 

Tare eventually hit a six off the final delivery and Mumbai qualified for the playoffs. Anderson remained not out on 95 off 44 deliveries, and went down in history as one of the greatest innings ever for the Mumbai Indians. 

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