There is striking gold, and then there is striking Blue and Gold. The right surprise package, the perfect piece who fits the puzzle, Mumbai Indians, have had a whole host of stars being brought into the #OneFamily through pre-auction trades in the history of the IPL.

So here we are, digging through the archives, bringing them to you.

Shikhar Dhawan

Before he was christened as Gabbar and became one of the most destructive batters in world cricket, he was part of the fa-MI-ly as he joined in a straight-player swap with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Ashish Nehra going the other way.

Shikhar donned the Blue and Gold for two seasons (2009 and 2010) and registered 345 runs in 19 games across the IPL and the Champions League T20.

Zaheer Khan

Our ace seamer had his first stint at Mumbai Indians through a slightly unconventional route - a trade from RCB ahead of the 2009 IPL season, with Robin Uthappa going the other way. Zak accumulated six wickets (avg. 23.66 and econ. 6.76) in the 2009 edition and 15 scalps (avg. 25.06  and econ. 7.77) in the 2010 edition, playing a major role in carrying MI to the final.

Dinesh Karthik and Pragyan Ojha

With Mumbai Indians needing some specialist players in the wicket-keeping and spin department, the franchise signed Dinesh Karthik in a player-plus-cash deal with Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in exchange for R Sathish. Pragyan Ojha too made his way into the Blue and Gold (trade from Deccan Chargers) ahead of the 2012 season.

They instantly had a huge impact. In the championship-winning 2013 season, DK smashed 510 runs, while Ojha claimed 16 scalps in as many games to power the Blue and Gold to their maiden silverware in the T20 extravaganza.

Parthiv Patel

Parthiv was roped in from Royal Challengers Bangalore for the 2015 season, and the southpaw didn’t disappoint. In fact, he made a mark of his own with the bat in 2015 (339 runs, 10 dismissals - seven caught, three stumpings) and 2017 (395 runs, eight dismissals - six caught, two stumpings) to lead MI to the IPL crown.

Quinton de Kock

Another one on the trade route from RCB to Mumbai. Ahead of the 2019 season, he made his way into the Blue and Gold, and what followed was sheer carnage. 16 innings, 529 runs and a strike rate of 132.91; this QdK phenomenon powered Mumbai Indians to their fourth IPL title. He wouldn’t stop there, following it up with another 500+-run season in 2020, and another title.

Trent Boult

A thunderbolt of a transfer! Trent Boult arrived in MI from the Delhi Capitals ahead of IPL 2020. With 38 IPL wickets from 29 IPL games for MI, 2020 was a dream season for him with the ball, claiming 25 wickets in 15 games. This included a rampage spell - 4/18 - against Chennai Super Kings in match 41, where MI registered a 10-wicket victory. He would stay for another season (2021 - 13 wickets) before departing to Rajasthan Royals in the mega auction.

Jason Behrendorff

A member of the victorious 2019 IPL winning team, Jason returned HOME in a trade deal with Royal Challengers Bangalore. His impact as a Blue and Gold player was immediate with his performances in IPL 2023, as the Aussie claimed 14 wickets in 12 outings and ensured he was true to his status as a new-ball specialist.