“If MI are playing, you should expect us to qualify for the playoffs. We’re now looking ahead to the next four games—to win them, and to win this tournament as well,” said a calm and composed Naman Dhir after his match-defining knock against the Delhi Capitals.
That has always been the mentality of the Mumbai Indians (MI). They take their time to settle, understand the dynamics of the tournament, and then peak at just the right moment to go deep into the competition.
The perennial slow starters have done it again. This qualification marks their 11th appearance in the IPL playoffs across 18 seasons—second only to Chennai Super Kings, who have managed it 12 times. And this is what MI do best: defy the odds.
“Except for one year, Mumbai has always been in this scenario (start slow). At the start, we don’t start that great, but Mumbai always catches up in the middle and end of the tournament. So, we always believe in our strategy, plans, practices, and everything else. So, hopefully, we will also do that this year, and we are trying to do that,” Tilak Varma had once said.
Take 2014, for instance—after losing their first five matches, they still managed to finish fourth and make the playoffs. Or 2015, when they began with four straight defeats, only to mount a dramatic comeback and clinch their second title.
In 2025, under Hardik Pandya’s leadership in his second season as captain, MI are scripting a similar tale. After losing four of their first five games, they bounced back with six consecutive wins—seven out of their last eight. It could easily have been eight in eight, had rain not spoiled their clash against current table-toppers Gujarat Titans.
Their resurgence has been so remarkable that both Suryakumar Yadav and Trent Boult now feature in the top three of the Orange and Purple Cap standings, respectively. Surya, in particular, has scored 13 consecutive innings of 25 or more in IPL 2025—the joint-longest such streak in men’s T20 history.
Moreover, six of MI’s wins this season have come either with a margin of over 40 runs or with more than 25 balls to spare.
It’s the same old storyline for the five-time champions—yet again, they’ve managed to turn the tide despite a sluggish start.
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