The five-time champions Mumbai Indians are the most successful team in the Indian Premier League. They have been phenomenal since 2013 when a young Rohit Sharma started leading a star-studded team. Rohit led them to glory five times and made them the most successful team in the cash-rich league. Despite having world-class players like Rohit, Sachin, Harbhajan and Lasith Malinga MI is known for their scouting abilities. The team knows how to get the best out of a player. They have made players like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal and many more. However, today in this article we will discuss the top three youngest players to debut for MI in IPL.
3. Dewald Brevis (18 years 342 days)
Young South African batter Dewald Brevis who is also famous as Baby AB has been one of the great finds for Mumbai Indians. He had a brief but impactful career with the five-time champions. He was roped in by MI in 2022 and the rest is history.
Brevis made his IPL debut at the age of 18 years and 342 days. He became the third youngest player to represent the MI franchise. Brevis had a decent season with MI as he scored 161 runs in 7 innings at an average of 23.0. He had the highest score of 49 with an impressive strike rate of 142.48. Brevis is one of those players who will be a nightmare for opposition in the upcoming years.
2. Manish Pandey (18 years 261 days)
Star India batter Manish Pandey is a household name in India due to his heroics in Indian Premier League. Fans know him as a batter and leader for SRH and KKR but many don’t know that MI was his first team. In 2008 Mumbai Indians bought him on his base price to strengthen their Indian batting line-up.
However, Pandey, a young and talented batsman, failed to display his skills throughout his stint. His domestic performances might have provided a launch pad for his lucrative IPL career with other teams but his performance for MI was below the belt. Notably, For Mumbai Indians, Pandey made his debut in 2008 at the age of 18 years and 261 days. He played two innings of which he scored just 3 runs.
1. Saurabh Tiwary (18 years 117 days)
Indian left-handed wicketkeeper-batter Saurabh Tiwary had a thrilling IPL career with the Mumbai Indians. He made his IPL debut for MI in 2008 at the age of 18 years and 217 days. His explosive batting technique immediately caught people’s notice. He was the best batter for MI in 2010 when he hammered 419 runs in 15 innings at an average of 29.93.
However, his future seasons were less reliable, and he had trouble keeping up his form. Tiwary made vital appearances for the squad, but he was frequently overshadowed by the all-star group. Tiwary’s affiliation with the Mumbai Indians ended over time, and he went on to represent other IPL franchises. However, he made his return to MI in 2017 and had four seasons with the franchise.