The IPL is the platform to unearth talent, and every year, Mumbai Indians unleash a bunch of these young cricketers on the big stage. With the Class of 2024, the bar of excellence is expected to be elevated to a new high. So, as we build on to the start of the season, let’s revisit some of the memorable IPL debuts in the MI jersey over the years.

1. IPL 2008 – Sanath Jayasuriya

So, everyone was making their IPL debut. But Sanath Jayasuriya was in beast mode right from the word go. He laid the foundation of what it means to be an MI cricketer. A penchant for scoring runs, a hunger for wickets and the commitment to win each game - all this combined saw the Sri Lankan icon finish with 514 runs and four wickets in the inaugural IPL edition.

Most memorable performance: 114 not out vs KKR; The Matara Mauler turned into a Mumbai Mauler with his incredible 114 not out against CSK. He took 25 balls to reach his 50, and from thereon, he toggled the nitro switch to engineer MI to the fastest-ever run chase in the league’s folklore.

2. IPL 2009 – Lasith Malinga

While cricket fans didn’t get to see Lasith Malinga in action in the inaugural season, the Sri Lankan legend got the opportunity to introduce himself in true Slingaa style. Malinga grabbed 18 wickets in 13 games with a tight economy rate of 6.28.

Most memorable performance: 3/10 vs KKR; Our current Bowling Coach snapped the wickets of Brendon McCullum, Ajantha Mendis and Ashok Dinda to enable us to an easy win.

3. IPL 2010 - Kieron Pollard

This was the initiation of the ethereal ‘Llord’ legacy for the next 12 years in MI Blue and Gold. Kieron Pollard was our only buy at the IPL auction, and he returned our faith by registering 273 runs and 15 wickets in 14 games.

Most memorable performance: 33* (13) & 3/17 vs RCB; Despite carrying a hamstring injury, Pollard’s never-say-die attitude with the bat and ball got MI to qualify for the IPL final.

4. IPL 2011 - James Franklin

James Franklin’s stay in the IPL was short and sweet, and he made it count. In his debut season in 2011, the New Zealander hit 107 runs and claimed three wickets in his eight outings.

Most memorable performance: 2/35 & 45 (23) vs KKR; His 23-ball blitz of 45 runs - which included four boundaries in the final over - stunned the entire Eden Garden in MI’s run chase of 176.

5. IPL 2012 - Robin Petersen

A finger spinner, an able hitter, and an attacking fielder, not to mention a hidden penchant for playing as a clutch player, Robin Petersen’s skilled resume saw him join the Fa-MI-ly in 2012. He would give us some memories to look back on from his brief spell on the field.

Most memorable performance: 16 (7) vs PBKS; A debut to remember for both Petersen and the Paltan. En route to a chase of 168, MI needed 32 from 12 balls when Peterson entered the fray. The Proteas man took charge of the penultimate over by reverse sweeping the first ball, switch-hitting the second and packing the third for a six into the stands at Mohali. This eased the pressure and allowed Ambati Rayudu to put the finishing touches on a four-wicket win.

6. IPL 2013 - Mitchell Johnson

A game-changing signing that fit the puzzle of our first-ever IPL championship triumph. Australian legend Mitchell Johnson made his league debut a year after he was signed on. And boy, did he wreak havoc with the ball, claiming 24 wickets in 17 games!

Most memorable performance: 3/27 vs CSK; CSK were on a seven-game winning streak in IPL 2013, but a visit to the Wankhede Stadium saw their joyride meet its finish line. Chasing 140, Chennai saw their innings end at 79 all out courtesy of a stellar spell from Johnson (3/27).

7. IPL 2014 - Lendl Simmons

Not often do you find a player who comes, makes an immediate impact and ensures the consistency levels don’t see a drop. Lendl Simmons played eight matches and proved to be an absolute run machine with 394 runs on the board, averaging 56.28. He was MI’s best performer with the bat and one of the few players to hit a hundred that term.

Most memorable performance: 100* (61) vs PBKS; A combination of strength and timing propelled Simmons to punish the Punjab bowlers with a shower of boundaries (4s x 14) and sixes (6s x 2) and elevate MI to a seven-wicket win with an over to spare.

8. IPL 2015 - Hardik Pandya

In 2015, MI Paltan was introduced to one of its unique all-round talents, current skipper Hardik Pandya. The Baroda talent would play a significant role in a season that saw a meteoric shift from losing the four opening games to winning nine of the next 10 games and then lifting the IPL trophy. Amidst this scenario, Hardik contributed 112 runs and one wicket in nine games.

Most memorable performance: 61 (31) vs KKR; In a do-or-die game that saw Kieron Pollard walk away with the plaudits for defending 12 runs in the last over, it was Hardik’s unbeaten 61 - striking at ​​196.77 - that pushed MI to a eventual match-winning score of 171. He would also contribute a catch dismissal as the Blue and Gold qualified for the playoffs.

9. IPL 2016 - Krunal Pandya

After Hardik Pandya showed his skillset in IPL 2015, the Paltan found another Pandya to cheer for. Krunal, Hardik’s older brother, displayed his all-round abilities in style as he notched 237 runs & 6 wickets in 12 games.

Most memorable performance: 86 (37) and 2/15 vs DC; Krunal carried the batting for MI after Rohit Sharma's dismissal and punched through the Delhi defences with his 37-ball juggernaut innings to get the Blue and Gold past 200. Then, when it came to bowling, the all-rounder troubled the Delhi batters with his composed spell (2/15) and got MI to win the game by 80 runs with five balls to spare.

10. IPL 2017 - Nitish Rana

A gem in Delhi's cricket fields, Nitish Rana’s first entire season with MI kicked off in the 2017 edition. While he gave a glimpse of his untapped attributes in the last four games of 2016, Rana upped the ante with 333 runs in 13 outings, including three half-tons. Furthermore, he would also don the Orange Cap during the season.

Most memorable performance: 62* (34) vs PBKS; Fresh from scoring a match-winning fifty at the Wankhede against Gujarat Lions, Nitish Rana kept the momentum going in the next game vs Punjab. After Jos Buttler set the tone for the 199-run chase, the southpaw put the final nails in the coffin with his blitzkrieg unbeaten 62, which included seven sixes.

11. IPL 2018 - Mayank Markande

The 20-year-old Mayank Markande was a delight for onlookers as he scalped 15 wickets in 14 games, including seven wickets in just two games. He would earn praise from former MI stalwart Harbhajan Singh for his match-winning ability. His well-disguised googlies were a sight to behold!

Most memorable performance: 4/23 vs SRH; Mayank laid down his magic circles and trapped Shikhar Dhawan, Wriddhiman Saha, Manish Pandey, and Shakib Al Hasan in his web. But that couldn’t do any justice as MI lost the fixture by a narrow one wicket.

12. IPL 2019 - Alzarri Joseph

Alzarri Joseph took the IPL world by storm with his record-breaking debut in the classic Blue and Gold. While he could get only three games in his kitty before he got injured, he ensured he wrote a memory for the ages to remember.

Most memorable performance: 6/12 vs SRH; It took just 3.4 overs for Joseph to redefine ‘gatecrashing’ for the Hyderabad batters. Fierce, determined, and confident, Alzarri Joseph singlehandedly helped MI walk away with a 40-run victory.

13. IPL 2020 - James Pattinson

Arriving in a season with huge shoes to fill following Lasith Malinga's retirement, James Pattinson stood his ground and proved a vital asset for the team en route to a fifth IPL crown. The Aussie bowler registered 11 wickets in 10 games.

Most memorable performance: 2/19 vs RR; While Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult majorly called the shots with the ball in this contest, Pattinson joined the party with a neat spell (2/19) that saw him leak just six runs per over.

14. IPL 2021 - Marco Jansen

A player on the radar for three years, Marco Jansen's instincts and hard work earned him a chance to get picked at the IPL auctions and wear the Blue and Gold in the 2021 edition. Tall, a rangy run-up and a head full of commitment and confidence, Jansen ensured he made the most of the opportunities that came his way through the campaign.

Most memorable performance: 2/28 vs RCB; While Mumbai lost the game, a young, determined 20-year-old Jansen took confident strides with the ball and registered a two-wicket haul. His victims? Glenn Maxwell and Shahbaz Ahmed.

15. IPL 2022 - Tilak Varma

Another home talent who came smashing through the doors (and still does) with the bat is Tilak Varma. The Hyderabad star introduced himself to the Indian audience with an eccentric 397 runs in 14 games, averaging over 36 and a strike rate of 131.

Most memorable performance: 61 (33) vs RR; It was just his second IPL game, but TV gave television and online stream viewers a glimpse of his untapped potential. His fine knock of 61 was packaged with three boundaries and five sixes, but it failed to guide MI to a win over RR at the DY Patil Stadium.

16. IPL 2023 - Cameron Green

Cameron Green brought that middle-order game-winning mentality back into the MI dressing room, which somehow went missing after Kieron Pollard's departure. A hard-hitter, a tall fielder, and able to contribute with the ball, Green was just the overseas all-rounder MI needed to spice up their IPL challenge, and he delivered with 452 runs and six wickets in 16 games.

Most memorable performance: 100* (47) vs SRH; Cometh the hour, cometh the Cam! He took 20 balls to fifty and then the next 27 to reach triple figures in a game that got MI into the playoffs. He smashed eight fours and sixes apiece at a strike rate of 212.76 that left the walls of the Wankhede Stadium still ringing with the sound of his bat’s willow.