What makes Mumbai Indians so formidable?

Before the start of every Indian Premier League, as a routine exercise, pundits, fans, and journalists pick their team to triumph. On most occasions, there’ll be two sides listed as favourites for glory: Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. This time, a vast majority backed Mumbai Indians despite this being an even year — MI had previously won only in odd years.

Following their thumping win over Delhi Capitals in the final in Dubai on Wednesday, MI proved why they are considered as one of the finest T20 sides in the world. Barring the loss in the opening game to Chennai Super Kings, they looked utterly dominant even as other teams struggled for consistency. And in the two crunch games, the Qualifier 1 and final, they came out all guns blazing to secure a record-extending fifth IPL title.

There are many reasons why Mumbai Indians have gone on to become such a powerful force in the richest cricket league in the world. From scouting and unearthing some phenomenal talents like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya to making astute purchases in auctions; from installing a street-smart easy-going Rohit Sharma as skipper to roping in power-packed support staff, a lot of work has gone into turning MI into a title-winning machine. DH looks at aspects that make MI so formidable.

Core group

Every successful sporting team in the world needs to have a strong core group. Barcelona, at the height of their dominant previous decade, had Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez, Carlos Puyol, Dani Alves, Gerard Pique, and Victor Valdes to give an example. Each force pulls the strings in a certain department and when the forces unify, the team becomes powerful. MI have exactly that. Rohit, Kieron Pollard, Pandya brothers — Hardik and Krunal — Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav have been with the team for a while now and have delivered constantly. Although a mega auction is reported to take place, expect a vast majority of them to be retained by the franchise.

To the core group add fresh arrivals like Quinton de Kock and Trent Boult. Deemed not good by their previous employers, the duo has flourished in the MI set-up.

Rohit captaincy

With his latest title triumph, Rohit has made a strong case to be counted as one of the finest white-ball captains in world cricket. Street smart, quick thinking, friendly in nature and most importantly, possessing the Midas touch, Rohit has been phenomenal in his leadership. Not only does the Mumbaikar marvel at making quick decisions in crunch situation, he’s excellent at reading the game and opposition too. Take Tuesday’s final. With Delhi having four left-handed batsmen in their line-up, Rohit took the gamble of dropping in-form leg-spinner Rahul Chahar and handing off-spinner Jayant Yadav a second game of the season. Jayant set the final up by castling Shikhar Dhawan. In last year’s final, despite Lasith Malinga going for 43 runs in 3 overs and CSK needing 9 off the last over, Rohit handed the ball to the Sri Lankan. He backed his trusted horse and Malinga delivered.

Talent scouting

Piecing together a successful team is a tough exercise. Unlike some franchises who depend on their superstars to get the job done, MI have been brilliant in unearthing unpolished gems from remote places in the country. A large part of the credit goes to former India coach John Wright, who has been the head of scouting since 2013. He’s the reason behind the discovery of Bumrah, Pandya brothers, and Rahul Chahar, to name a few. Even at the auction, while many teams at times lose control of their purses in search of their desired acquisitions, MI have been smart about their purchases. They somehow are able to read which player will fit into their scheme of things and who won’t.

Backroom staff

Right after the final got over, Suryakumar spoke about how the backroom makes life so easy for the players that their only job is to go out on the field and play. The owners proudly call the team ‘MI Family’ (read as My Family) and that bonhomie is visible too. There’s hardly any infighting and all the players are made to feel equal with no one player bigger than the other. Head coach Mahela Jayawardene has been brilliant in getting the best out of his players without being a hard taskmaster. In short, they are a well-oiled machine led by a sharp leader and looked after by astute minds.