The time is nigh. Two months of high-octane cricket await us. Mumbai Indians and the IPL are returning to the iconic Wankhede Stadium with a million voices singing #MumbaiMeriJaan.

FOUR. Right then, four days remain, much like our four IPL centurions over these years. Each one of them iconic and memorable. Also, each one of those four batters left a long, indelible stamp on the history of Mumbai Indians. So here we go then, looking back as we build up to our first game ..

Sanath Jayasuriya (2008): It was a proper assault! The classy left-hander averaged 19.7 runs in his first seven games of the 2008 season, but a quickfire unbeaten 114 off 48 balls against CSK would show just why he was the legend. Jayasuriya single-handedly pivoted the 157-run chase, scoring 102 off his 114 runs in boundaries: with 11 sixes into the stadium stands and nine fours. He toyed around with Chennai’s Lakshipathy Balaji, Albie Morkel, Manpreet Gony and Muttiah Muralitharan to help us have the last laugh in the contest, a nine-wicket triumph in 13.5 overs.

Sachin Tendulkar (2011): 1066 days after making his IPL debut, Mumbai’s greatest cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar did it at last. An IPL hundred at our fortress, the Wankhede. It was meant to be, despite the defeat to Kochi Tuskers Kerala. The ‘Little Master’ smacked 12 fours and three sixes as he powered MI to a first-innings total of 182/2 against Kochi. He confidently fended off the onslaughts of Vinay Kumar, Thisara Perera and Ravindra Jadeja to notch his first and only triple-figure score in the IPL.

Rohit Sharma (2012): The ‘I’ in Rohit Sharma stands for impact man. And we can say that confidently in the true Aamchi Mumbai way. After Sachin Tendulkar’s early dismissal, Ro-hit stepped onto the lush greens of the Eden Gardens and stamped his authority with 12 fours and five sixes. Brett Lee, Rajat Bhatia and Jacques Kallis had no answer to the Hitman’s masterclass with the bat, as he anchored MI to 182/1 in the first innings against KKR. It began his love affair with the Eden Gardens, culminating in a historic ODI knock of 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014. 

Lendl Simmons (2014): Another true blue Mumbai Indians player, and on his day, when he went berserk, he was unstoppable. He had one such day against Kings XI Punjab. With a unbeaten 100 off 61 balls, the West Indian decided to knock out the target almost single-handedly. 14 boundaries, two sixes and Sandeep Sharma on the receiving end of his serving, Lendl Simmons proved his match-winner credentials with his first IPL hundred, powering MI to chase the target of 157 with one over to spare.