After some uncertainty, the Mumbai Indians (MI) clinched their place in the IPL 2023 playoffs with 16 points from 14 matches, finishing the league stage in fourth place.
They were assisted by the Gujarat Titans (GT) ruining the aspirations of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) later that night when they swept by SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) with a crushing six-wicket victory at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, May 21.
Rohit Sharma and the company will look to capitalise on their outstanding playoff record, which has resulted in them being the most successful club in the league’s history with five trophies.
Of course, although their bowlers have been critical to their success throughout the years, their batsmen have been equally important.
Ahead of their Eliminator match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Wednesday, May 24, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, we take a look at MI’s best three run-scorers in IPL playoff history.
3) Ambati Rayudu – 219 runs
Ambati Rayudu, who is currently with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), was one of MI’s unsung stars from their golden years till 2017. His record in IPL playoffs for the franchise isn’t very impressive, but he has always made his presence felt with vital contributions that have helped the team to victory.
In the IPL playoffs, he has scored 219 runs for MI at an average of 16.84 and a strike rate of 108.95. Looking past the stats, though, one can appreciate the worth of some of his knocks.
With his team at 16/3 in the final of the 2013 season against CSK, Rayudu built up important partnerships with Dinesh Karthik first and then Kieron Pollard on his way to a 36-ball 37.
In the 2015 final, he returned to torture his future team, scoring a crucial 24-ball 36, while his best score in MI colours in the IPL playoffs was a strong 40 against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the semifinal in 2010.
Clearly, Rayudu’s contributions to the franchise extend much beyond what the statistics indicate.
2) Rohit Sharma – 266 runs
MI skipper Rohit Sharma is second on the list of batsmen with the highest runs in the IPL playoffs.. His average and strike rate, however, do not make for compelling reading, with his 266 runs coming at a pace of 16.62 runs per game and a strike rate of 113.67.
Nonetheless, Rohit, like Rayudu, has made significant contributions on the big day.
He was the Player of the Match in the IPL 2015 final, with his 26-ball 50 setting the tone for his team’s second triumph, and he top-scored in the 2020 final against Delhi Capitals (DC) with 68 off 51 deliveries.
Having made it to the Eliminator of IPL 2023, the five-time champions will hope that their skipper comes good again as they seek a sixth crown.
1) Kieron Pollard – 341 runs
Kieron Pollard had a taste for clutch games, which frequently brought out the best in him. Given his capacity to take the game away from the opponent in the blink of an eye, the swashbuckling match-winner from Trinidad was a significant factor behind MI’s repeated title successes.
Pollard’s 341 runs for MI in the IPL playoffs have come at a strike rate of 169.65 and an average of 26.23. He almost pulled off a robbery against CSK in the IPL final in 2010, but he outdid himself in 2013 with an undefeated 60 off 32 deliveries, earning him the Player of the Match title.
He also smashed a quick 18-ball 36 to help Mumbai overcome the Super Kings in the 2015 final, before going on to top-score with an unbeaten 41 off 25 balls against the same opponents in 2019.
Aside from that, he blitzed his way to an unbeaten 13-ball 33 in the IPL 2010 quarterfinal against RCB, which MI went on to win.
Pollard was clearly designed for crucial situations, and it’s no wonder that the majority of his exploits have immediately translated into triumph for MI in the IPL playoffs.