5 Players you didn’t know once played for Mumbai Indians (Photo Source; Mumbai Indians)
Mumbai Indians, one of the most successful teams in the history of the Indian Premier League, are never shy of assembling a galaxy of stars. In their initial years, Mumbai was always looking to buy the best player available in the market, but the trend changed after a few years when they started investing more in Indian players and recruiting foreign cricketers that fit the system.
That worked for them for at least eight years before the 2022 mega-auction took place. That year, the franchise had to let go of several of its key players, which put them in trouble and since then, they finished at the bottom of the table in two out of three seasons. The 2025 mega-auction hence holds massive importance to the team. They would look forward to building a cracking team that can help them get back to winning ways.
Meanwhile, several players played for MI in the last 17 years, but fans ended up forgetting about them because not everyone could make the most of the opportunities.
Here is a list of 5 players you probably didn’t know who played for Mumbai Indians:
5. Jos Buttler
Before Jos Buttler became a legend of white-ball cricket, he played for Mumbai Indians for two seasons. The wicketkeeper-batter had tremendous potential and for the same reason, the franchise spent INR 3.8 crore for him in the auction, but couldn’t make the most out of the opportunities.
The 34-year-old played 14 games for MI in the 2016 edition, scoring just 255 runs at an average of 23.18. He was striking the ball well, but consistency is one area that he had to excel in, which the England international struggled. Even so, Mumbai gave him the confidence and backed him in the 2017 season. In that season, he played 10 games and scored just 272 runs at an average of 27.20.
Following this, the franchise decided to release him, especially with the mega-auction in the corner. He went on to join Rajasthan Royals, where the cricketer made a name for himself and became an IPL legend, Overall, he has played 107 games in the cash-rich league and scored 3582 runs at an average of 38.10. He also has seven centuries to his name in the tournament.
4. Shikhar Dhawan
Former India international Shikhar Dhawan played for Mumbai for two seasons. After playing for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2008, the southpaw signed for Mumbai for INR 12 lakhs. Notably, he played all 14 matches for Delhi in 2008 and scored 340 runs at an average of 37.77 but yet, the franchise decided to release him, as they backed the opening pair of Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag.
Dhawan played just five matches for Mumbai in 2009 and couldn’t make a mark. He scored 40 runs at an average of 10 but the team management decided to retain him and handed him more games in the following season. He played 10 games for them that season, but Dhawan’s poor form continued as the cricketer scored just 191 runs at an average of 19.10.
Mumbai for the obvious reason let him go ahead of the 2011 mega auction. Since then, he went on to win the IPL with Sunrisers Hyderabad and is also regarded as one of the legends of the IPL. He played a total of 222 games and scored 6769 runs at an average of 35.25.
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3. Yuzvendra Chahal
Star India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was part of the MI squad during IPL 2013. He played just one game that season and conceded 37 runs, and the franchise released him ahead of the next edition. Interestingly, Mumbai won the IPL title that season and for the same reason, Chahal has one trophy to his name in the cash-rich league.
Apart from that one IPL game, Chahal also played six games for MI in the Champions League in the 2011/12 season. He couldn’t impress and picked up only three wickets, but yet the franchise kept their faith in the spinner in the next season. Meanwhile, during his stay in Mumbai, he also had a physical altercation with Andrew Symonds, which the player later shared.
Overall, Chahal has played 160 games in the IPL and picked up 205 wickets at an average of 22.44. He is also currently the highest wicket-taker in the history of the tournament.
2. Axar Patel
Axar Patel was part of the Mumbai Indians squad in 2013 but was never handed an opportunity to make his debut. He was bought for INR 10 lakhs and warmed the bench for the entire season before the all-rounder was released ahead of the 2014 auction when he joined Punjab Kings. He spent five seasons there before joining the Delhi Capitals in 2019.
Overall, he has played 150 games in the cash-rich league and picked up 123 wickets at an average of 30.55. With the bat, he has made 1653 runs at a strike rate of 130.87. As things stand, Delhi Capitals will likely retain him before the mega-auction for the 2025 edition.
1. Kuldeep Yadav
The star India spinner Kuldeep Yadav was first recruited by Mumbai Indians before he became famous in Kolkata Knight Riders colors. The franchise signed him in 2012 but couldn’t hand him any opportunity as the bowling unit was pretty stacked. Mumbai was highly impressed with his performance in the Cooch Behar Trophy, which promoted them to sign him in the first place.
After MI, he joined KKR, where the cricketer spent five seasons, before joining Delhi Capitals, During his five years in KKR, the Kanpur-born cricketer won the IPL twice. Overall, he has played 84 games in the IPL and picked up 87 wickets at an average of 27.44.