The festival that is Indian Premier League (IPL) has firmly put India as the leader of world cricket. Every year the best cricketers from all over the globe assemble to make their presence felt in the popular cash-rich league. The IPL as of 2021 consists of eight teams. In the 14 seasons so far, the most successful team is the Mumbai-based franchise or MI paltan known among fans. But what is the full form of MI?
Here we answer the all-important question and give a few more details about the five-time winning IPL franchise. We will also be noting some of the other full forms of various teams.
MI full form in IPL
The full form of MI in IPL is Mumbai Indians, and the franchise is easily the most recognisable in the tournament. Led by Rohit Sharma and boasting players of the likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard, and Jasprit Bumrah, the Mumbai-based franchise has been a real force to be reckoned with in the last few years. They did not have the best of starts to their campaign in the initial years, but once they got into their groove, there was no stopping Mumbai Indians.
Mumbai Indians was formed in 2008 and sold to Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) for $111.9 million, making it the most expensive team to be sold in the league. Mukesh Ambani owns RIL. The home ground of Mumbai Indians is the Wankhede Stadium.
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Mumbai Indians in IPL over the years
IPL 2008: Mumbai Indians did not start the IPL well. They finished the tournament’s inaugural season in the fifth position, failing to make it to the playoffs despite a star-studded team at their disposal.
IPL 2009: Mumbai Indians had an even poor season in 2009 as they finished 7th on the points table. This called for an immediate shuffle in the overall team.
IPL 2010: The changes bore fruit, and MI reached the tournament’s final but fell short. They lost to Chennai Super Kings 22 runs, but we would witness this rivalry for years to come.
IPL 2011: The fourth season of IPL was once again a good one for the Mumbai IPL team. They finished third on the points table and then got the better of Kolkata Knight Riders in the Eliminator. However, they lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore in Qualifier 2.
IPL 2012: With several stars on the wane in IPL 2012, Mumbai lacked the killer instinct the entire season and finished fourth on the points table.
IPL 2013: The sixth season of IPL was a defining one for Mumbai. Rohit Sharma was made captain mid-season, and the entire atmosphere changed. Mumbai Indians won their first IPL trophy by beating Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 and then thumping Chennai Super Kings in the final.
IPL 2014: The next season, results did not go in Mumbai’s direction as the new players failed to deliver. Mumbai Indians did qualify for the playoffs but lost in the Eliminator to CSK.
IPL 2015: Another milestone year for Mumbai was in 2015 when they lifted the IPL cup for the second time. They were dominant in the entirety of the competition and beat fan favourites Chennai Super Kings first in Qualifier 1 and then again in the final.
IPL 2016: The 2016 season was one of the most disappointing editions for Mumbai, where despite having a super-strong setup, they failed to qualify for the playoffs and were forced to be content at fifth place.
IPL 2017: Mumbai were not ready to give up just yet and came back in full form in 2017 as they lifted their third IPL title. The franchise dominated right from the start of the season. They finished the group stages on top of the points table before beating Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 2. In one of the best IPL finals ever, Mumbai then beat Rising Pune Supergiant by 1 run.
IPL 2018: The 2018 edition saw Mumbai falter yet again as they finished fifth on the points table and failed to qualify for the playoffs.
IPL 2019: The 2019 season of the IPL once again saw Mumbai on top. They topped the points table in the group stage, beat Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1, and then again in the final by 1 run. With the win, they became the successful team in IPL history with four titles to their name.
IPL 2020: The country might have changed, but the results remained the same for Mumbai. IPL shifted to the UAE due to the rampaging coronavirus situation in India. Defending champions Mumbai were expected to do well, and they did not break a sweat in winning their fifth IPL title. By the time other teams came in terms of the UAE’s surfaces, Mumbai had already surged ahead. It was usual business for them as they topped the group stages with 18 points. In Qualifier 1, Mumbai toppled Delhi Capitals by 57 runs, and then again in the final, they beat Delhi Capitals by 5 wickets.
IPL 2021: The 2021 season of IPL started on a sombre note for Mumbai, where they won 4 of their 7 matches before the season got suspended due to the COVID crisis. Whether the defending champions can bounce back when the season resumes in September or not remains to be seen.
Conclusion
Mumbai Indians are easily the most dominant side the Indian Premier League has ever seen. They have forged a name for themselves as a T20 side that few can fathom. For the longest time, Chennai Super Kings were seen as the team to beat in the IPL, but over the last few years, that has quickly changed to Mumbai Indians and will remain for some time to come.
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