Mumbai Indians has always been the team that turn things around when people least expect. The most crucial moments brought out the best in our players & they enthralled the fans with their performances, giving them memories to cherish forever. However, even after a series of three consecutive wins, we were unable to keep up the late winning streak and make it to the playoffs. Nevertheless, the fans kept their faith in the team. In fact, our Paltan has always stuck by the team and showered us with their support over the years! We take a look at our IPL journey so far and how the fans have backed us at every turn.

We started off the first edition on a bad note, losing our first 4 games of the season. The losing streak soon turned into a winning streak as we went on to win the next 6 games under our acting captain, Shaun Pollock. He later returned to the side in a different role as the Head Coach for the second edition of the IPL. The team’s progress in the second season depended majorly on the trinity of JP Duminy, Sachin’s batting & Slinga Malinga powering the bowling department. We only won 5 games in that season and ended further down the table than the year before. The team was fortified later with enough firepower which made us a team to be reckoned with. We stormed to our first finals in 2010 but ended up being the first runners up.

The next two seasons were more or less similar for us. We did well in the group stages to claim the third spot on the points table, only to bow out of the competition in the playoffs. Our moment came in 2013 when we took the tournament by storm, as we were unbeaten at home and won 11 games out of 16 to reach the second spot on the points table. From there on we went on to win the cup for the very first time. All the fans who believed in us, had their faith renewed. MI didn’t have a great start in 2014 though – losing 5 games, but came back strongly in the second half. We qualified for the playoffs in spectacular fashion, by chasing down a target of 195 set by RR in 14.4 overs, but we failed to defend our title. 2015 was the year when we stole the show for the second time. We once again had a slow start, as we lost five out of six games initially but came back stronger to be crowned the champions for the second time. We tried to replicate the same performance this year but failed to do so as we ended our campaign one spot shy of the playoff spot.

Through the highs and lows, ups and downs, the fans have always been there, cheering from the stands and encouraging us through different social media platforms. Our fan base spans beyond Mumbai, across India. Our Paltan is the reason to what we do and why we do it. We try to put on a high-octane show in most of the games we play and this spirit is what makes fans come back for more! We have the Master on our side. We have powerhouses like Harbhajan and Pollard, who can win us matches on their own. We have the Slinga Malinga who snaps crazy wickets. Even though he was ruled out on account of an injury this year, Jasprit Bumrah & Mitchell McClenaghan took charge of the bowling department on his behalf. We got wildcards in the form of Krunal Pandya and Nitish Rana who stunned the crowd with their performances.

It’s this passion to excel that makes MI fan favourites. One thing can be said with certainty, we are always thankful to have the MI Paltan by our side! Thank you for all the love and support. We promise to come back better, stronger and hungrier for cup success in the future editions of the IPL.