There was a difference in how our batting unit operated this season as opposed to our previous title-winning seasons. Rohit Sharma had emphasized on one specific point throughout the season that team-work has been the hallmark of Mumbai Indians in 2017. What our skipper stated was essayed by our batting order too. In 2013 and 2015, when we won our previous IPL titles, we had two batsmen with over 500 runs in the season. Lendl Simmons led the way in 2015, while our skipper Rohit Sharma made waves in 2013. In 2017 though, we didn’t have any of our batsmen in the top 5 run-getters list. We had as many as 8 batsmen who scored half-centuries for us – a team record in the season. Let’s take a look at some of the key batsmen for us from the season gone by.

Parthiv Patel – 395 runs, SR – 134.81

One of the most experienced figures in Indian cricket, Parthiv Patel was the key to almost all our brisk starts. Having scored 395 runs, he tops our highest run-getters’ chart for the season. Some of the memorable knocks by Parthiv came in our game against Gujarat Lions which ended in the Super Over. He buoyed the chase well by scoring 70 runs. His second half-century came in vain, during the first Qualifier against Rising Pune Supergiant. Apart from the two fifty-plus scores, Parthiv provided some good starts on batting-friendly pitches and held one end up on those which were tough to bat on.

Kieron Pollard – 385 runs, SR – 139.49

The big Trinidadian brought his A-game to the big carnival! He finished 10 runs behind Parthiv Patel, on 385 in the season. We saw two different sides of Pollard’s batting this year. When the chips were down and early wickets had fallen, Polly would come out and stabilise the ship. And then, there were occasions when he came out to bat earlier than usual and exhibited is power-hitting. His 70 should be the most special, as he strode in with the team four down with the score just 7. He steadied the chase and ensured that the Pandya brothers took us home in the end. Two whirl-wind knocks saw him put up unbeaten scores of 63 and 50 against Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab. Pollard bowled just the one over for us and his key role was as an experienced batsman in the side – he played the role to perfection.

Nitish Rana – 333 runs, SR – 126.13

Nitish Rana was one of the finest young talents to emerge from the 2017 season. The first half of the league stage belonged to the dashing left-hander from Delhi. Rana claimed the Orange Cap, as he battled among the likes of Gambhir and Warner. He proved that he could be sent in up the order when we needed a gritty innings or even when we needed some quick runs. The way Rana paced his innings during the three half-centuries that he scored was a sign of how matured he can be during tough situations. In our record chase against Kings XI Punjab, Rana notched up an unbeaten 62, hitting seven sixes and not relying on a single boundary.

Rohit Sharma – 333 runs, SR – 121.97

After an unusually slow start to the tournament, Rohit Sharma picked up pace when it mattered. He ended up becoming the joint third-highest run-getter for MI with 333 runs. Rohit’s blade three half-centuries, two of which came in tough conditions and situations. He got back to form with a score of 58 against Pune, and followed it up with an unbeaten, match-winning knock of 56 against RCB at home. Rohit’s contributions in the second Qualifier and the final can’t be ignored either. After the fall of a few early wickets, Rohit kept us in the chase against Kolkata Knight Riders with a crucial 26. In the final, he ensured that the run-rate didn’t dip to uncontrollable levels with a handy 24.

Jos Buttler – 272 runs, SR – 153.67

New role? No problem, Jos Buttler can handle that! From the very first game, our think tank sprung up a surprise for the opponents and fans. Jos Buttler walked in with Parthiv Patel to open the batting. He took liking to the role with a 30+ score against Pune. After a few good starts, the big one came around. Against Kings XI, when we had to chase a steeping 199, Jos Buttler brought out some of the most breath-taking strokes on his way to a 37-ball 77. The move to open with Buttler was a master-class, thought through by our head coach, Mahela Jayawardene.

Hardik Pandya – 250 runs, 156.25

After having a rather forgetful season in 2016, Hardik Pandya made amends this season and how. The budding all-rounder took up the finisher’s role in many of our successful run-chases this year. He teed off in our very first game, smacking Ashok Dinda for 26 runs off the first four balls of the final over of the innings. Hardik went on to pull off some improbable tasks from there on. Even when the required rate rose to over 10, we had faith in his big-hitting abilities.

Krunal Pandya – 243 runs – 135.75

Krunal Pandya was the perfect team-man for MI. He could bat high up the order, in the middle order or play the finisher. Give him any role and he would excel! Krunal played a couple of handy knocks with the bat during the league stages. However, he reserved his best for the second Qualifier and the final. An unbeaten 45 saw our team through to the IPL final. When the cream of our batting order failed to deliver in the final, Krunal stepped up and the 47 runs he scored gave our bowling unit all the confidence in the world. Among the all-rounders in the tournament, Krunal was perhaps the most valued with the bat.

When our batting clicked as a unit, it was a pleasant sight to watch some of them in full flow. However, there were occasions when the going got tough and one person put their hand up to bail the team out. Lendl Simmons, Ambati Rayudu & Saurabh Tiwary shared some of the lime-light too, when they got their opportunities. Our batting order exemplified how batsmen should go about during a tournament.