![News](https://www.mumbaiindians.com/static-assets/waf-images/af/60/a8/21-9/1200-675/b6Rxw71kP5.jpg)
10 year challenge: Where our winning batch of 2013 are now
Read it in Hindi.
Read it in Marathi.
‘A trophy carries dust. Memories last forever.’ This quote is apt for what we are about to say: Hey! It’s our 10th anniversary of winning the IPL for the first time.
For a team that has always boasted of some of the best cricket talents, the 2013 IPL season not only ended MI’s five-season wait for league silverware but was the foundation for MI’s massive future success.
Transition is one word to associate with the 2013 squad, which worked out for the best. Players like Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard and Dhawal Kulkarni showed promise to take over from senior stars like Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting in the team. The end result? A trophy in the bag.
Where are the players from that title-winning playing XI? What are they doing at this point in life? Let’s have a look.
Rohit Sharma: Well, everybody knows! The legend of Rohit Sharma - the young 25-year-old skipper in the waiting - who took over mid-season, has gone from milestone to milestone, and today, in 2023, he is still at the helm of MI, having pocketed another four trophies along the way.
Kieron Pollard: ‘LLord’ Kieron Pollard was the A-star performer in the 2013 edition, squeezing runs (420) out of bowlers while being a competent helping hand with his bowling (10 wickets). IPL 2023 will mark the West Indian star’s first assignment as the batting coach. Mumbai Indians’ of course, who else’s! Having retired from international cricket and the IPL last year, he still plays around the world in multiple T20 leagues, though, finishing innings for fun like he’s been doing all along.
Suryakumar Yadav: Aapla Dada Surya was a young 22-year-old in the squad of superstars back in 2013. Although he didn’t play a single game in the season, he has been in the middle of a purple patch since his return back to MI in 2018, and is currently the #1 T20I batter in the world, and an all-format player for India. In the Blue and Gold in 2023, he could just be wearing the Orange Cap!
Jasprit Bumrah: Boom Boom Bumrah introduced himself as a young bowler with an unorthodox bowling action with the prized wicket of Virat Kohli in IPL 2013. His three wickets in two games was an example of a ‘small role, big impact’, and he would go on to be one of the youngest player to win the championship. Although he is unlikely to play a part in the 2023 edition, Jasprit Bumrah has established himself as one of MI’s pillars of strength and a prime asset in the bowling order, with 170 wickets in 120 games.
Sachin Tendulkar: The 2013 season was the final chapter of the Little Master’s IPL adventure. The greatest cricketer ever, Sachin Tendulkar played 14 games and scored 287 runs that term. Winning the IPL title was a befitting end to his tenure as a player for MI, and going forward, he would play an essential role as our team’s Icon, mentor and one of the biggest cheerleaders. His presence is felt whenever Mumbai Indians take the field. As some say, it is Sachin’s Mumbai through and through.
Ricky Ponting: The Australia legend was appointed our captain at the start of the 2013 season. Failing to make an impression in the initial games saw Ponting relinquish his captain position and hand it to Rohit Sharma. This setback didn’t become a roadblock for him to return in a coaching capacity at MI in the next edition. The only third person to win an IPL title as a player and coach, the Australian legend has been on the hot seat at Delhi Capitals since 2018 and heads into his fifth season as the team’s boss.
Harbhajan Singh: The ‘Turbanator’ was one of Mumbai’s bowling generals in IPL 2013, claiming 24 wickets in 19 games. His off-spin deliveries often left opposition batters in a daze, particularly his trademark ‘doosra’. After retiring from all forms of cricket in 2021, Bhajji took an ambitious stride to enter politics. But his love for the sport remains as he is a featured TV pundit and commentator in both Hindi and English.
Mitchell Johnson: The joint-highest wicket-taker for MI in the 2013 edition, Mitch Johnson utilised his raw pace to dismantle opposing batting units. A two-time IPL winner with MI (2013, 2017), the 41-year-old keeps himself involved in cricket as a commentator for ABC Radio and also plays in the Legends Cricket League.
Lasith Malinga: Malinga, the greatest bowler in MI history, left no stone unturned as he grabbed 20 wickets in a successful 2013 IPL campaign. His searing inswinging yorkers made him one of the most dangerous bowlers to face in cricket, and he would pass down his learnings to Jasprit Bumrah while at Mumbai Indians. Currently, he is part of compatriot Kumar Sangakkara’s coaching staff at Rajasthan Royals.
Dwayne Smith: Smith was an aggressive batting all-rounder, evident in his record of 418 runs in 18 games. He has often given glimpses of what he brings to the fold with free-flowing boundaries and sixes in true Caribbean style in multiple T20 franchise leagues in the past few years. His latest cricket engagement came with Hari Om Titans in a Nairobi T20 tournament in November 2022.
Dinesh Karthik: One of the giant rocks in MI’s 2013 batting order, DK plundered 510 runs in 19 innings. The exhibition of his skills on the pitch has seen him attain a loyal fanbase while in Delhi (2014), Bangalore (2015, 2022-present), Gujarat (2016-17) and Kolkata (2018-21). We will see him in action for RCB in the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League. Like his ability to talk cricket with performances on the field, Karthik is enjoying his role behind the microphone as a broadcaster when not playing.
Ambati Rayudu: A player with the same attributes as Dinesh Karthik, Rayudu was a vital component of Mumbai Indians’ middle-order setup alongside Kieron Pollard. However, since 2018, the 37-year-old has been a CSK man and is eyeing a new page for his IPL story in the 2023 edition.
Pragyan Ojha: It takes two to tango, and besides Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha was the wrecker-in-chief for MI’s opponents in IPL 2013. Twisting the ball around batters with his slow left-arm orthodox spin, Ojha fished out 16 wickets in 16 games in 2013. Since drawing curtains to his cricket career, he has been a member of the IPL Governing Council since 2020 as a representative of the Indian Cricketers Association.
Aditya Tare: With 123 runs in five games, Aditya Tare was a useful spoke in MI’s 2013 wheel as he took over the opening spot after Sachin Tendulkar’s injury. In 2022, Aditya Tare made the switch from Mumbai to Uttarakhand in the Indian domestic circuit and is a regular in the side.
Rishi Dhawan: A genuine all-rounder, Rishi Dhawan provided a lot of balance to the MI squad in 2013. After stints with Punjab (2014-16) and Kolkata (2017), Rishi Dhawan focused on his domestic career, won a Vijay Hazare Trophy Final for Himachal Pradesh, eventually earning him a second stint with Punjab Kings in 2022. He will be seen playing for the franchise in the 2023 edition.
Glenn Maxwell: Australia’s Mr.360 hadn’t quite announced himself in 2013. Currently, his performances for RCB in the last two seasons have installed him as a key player in the franchise and someone to watch out for in the 2023 IPL.
Yuzvendra Chahal: A young promising leggie in 2013, Chahal soon announced himself as the leader of India’s spin attack in white-ball cricket. In 2022, with 27 wickets, he bagged the Purple Cap at Rajasthan Royals, and continues to remain there in 2023 as well.
Nathan Coulter-Nile: Mumbai and Australian fast bowlers are a bond that has lasted for years, and Coulter-Nile was one of those who were part of it. The pacer, who took a wicket in his only IPL 2013 game vs Punjab, was back with MI in 2020 and 2021. After his stint with Melbourne Stars in the 2023 Big Bash League, he was among those released by Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2023.
Axar Patel: A future star all-rounder, Axar was with us for one season. He even took a catch in the final to have his name printed on an MI scorecard. The left-armer is a prominent match-winner for India on the international front of late, and will be seen in the Delhi Capitals’ colours for the 2023 season.
Jacob Oram: New Zealand’s Jacob Oram played just one game in Mumbai Indians’ 2013 campaign, but the match-winning experience he brought was influential for all-rounders like Kieron Pollard. The Kiwi star has since donned the cap for different roles, commentator and host for Sky Television (2010-14), New Zealand ‘A’ coach and White Ferns Assistant coach (2014-15), Central Districts cricket coach (2014-16), and the bowling coach for MI Cape Town in the SA20.
James Franklin: After 327 runs and nine wickets in two seasons with MI, Franklin would feature in overseas leagues like Bangladesh Premier League, Big Bash League and Caribbean Premier League before hanging up his boots to take up cricket coaching. Currently, he is the bowling coach of Islamabad United in the PSL.
Aiden Blizzard: A solid opening batter for MI over three seasons Blizzard eventually retired from the sport in 2018. Nowadays, he operates as a Business Director of Sport for Kojo - an advertising firm based in South Australia.
Phil Hughes: The late Phil Hughes was drafted into the MI team following his exploits in red-ball cricket with Australia. Given the competition for places, he didn’t get a chance to feature in the XI. His life was tragically taken away at the age of 24 when a bouncer hit the back of his head while playing in the Australian domestic season in 2014.
Dhawal Kulkarni: Dhawal Kulkarni is one of the bowlers whose bowling lengths could be a potential game-changer, and he did so for multiple teams across his IPL career. He donned the Blue and Gold in two spells (2008-13 and 2020-21). In 2022, he took up the role of a commentator during the IPL, but continues to remain active on the domestic scene.
Munaf Patel: A regular in the MI side from 2011-13, Munaf Patel has taken up the role of bowling coach at the Baroda Cricket Association after his retirement from the game in 2018. He also often makes TV appearances and plays in the Road Safety Series.
Abu Nechim: A fast bowler who swings the ball both ways with good pace, Abu Nechim spent four seasons with us from 2010 and contributed three wickets in two appearances in our title-winning campaign in 2013. He was last seen in IPL action in 2015 for Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Nagaland star last took the field in a 2022 Ranji Trophy match against Jharkhand.
Amitoze Singh: One of the domestic finds for Mumbai Indians in 2012, Amitoze Singh didn’t get a chance to play on the field in 2013. The Punjab pacer’s last cricket activity was Northern Warriors’ Abu Dhabi T10 League game against Rajputs in 2018.
Pawan Suyal: He played 2013’s El Classico, and was quite impressive in it as well. After a long and successful domestic career, Pawan Suyal was last seen in the Legends League Cricket 2022 with the India Capitals team.
Javed Khan: The Delhi pacer was one of the raw talents at MI back in 2013. He gave up cricket shortly after though and his last act with the ball saw him record a four-wicket haul (4/18) for Delhi against Rajasthan in a 2014 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match in Mumbai.
Sushant Marathe: Once a prodigy player, Sushant Marathe was seen as a big-hitting wicketkeeper-batter for Mumbai. While unused in MI’s IPL campaign in 2013, Sushant shone with the bat in the domestic circuit for Mumbai and Cricket Club of India. Come 2016, he received a different calling as he swapped the cricket field to pursue his higher studies in business administration and is currently working at Amazon UK.