IPL: 3 great T20 players who flopped for MI

The Mumbai Indians (MI) are the most decorated team in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), with 4 trophies to their name. Over the course of their time in the IPL, some of the greatest-ever T20 players like Rohit Sharma and Lasith Malinga have turned out in the Blue and Gold.

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Great T20 players who flopped for MI in the IPL

🚨 NEW SIGNING 🚨 Yuvraj Singh 🇮🇳Price: ₹ 1 Crore #CricketMeriJaan #IPLAuction

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) December 18, 2018

In such a high-profile team stacked with the biggest stars, chances in the playing XI are few and far between, and some unfortunate cricketers have not been able to become a regular despite possessing immense talent.

Some of the best T20 players the world has ever seen have failed to make their mark on the IPL with MI, such as Jos Buttler and Thisara Perera.

In this article, we take a look at 3 great T20 players who flopped for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, either due to injuries or lack of opportunities.

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#3 Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch suffered a serious hamstring injury in his third IPL game for MI

Aaron Finch had already played for 4 franchises by the time he was picked by MI for 3.2 crores INR in the 2015 IPL auction. Expected to become a mainstay in the team and take some responsibility off Rohit Sharma at the top of the order, he saw a serious hamstring injury cut his IPL season short.

While it is harsh to call someone who suffered an injury that kept him out of action for months a flop, Australia's limited-overs captain has gone on to become a modern-day T20 great. He would have been perfect for MI in the opener's role, but Finch played only 3 games for MI, and scored 5, 8 and 10*.

In T20Is, the destructive opener has made two 150-plus scores, and holds the record for the highest individual score in the format. Finch was not retained by MI after his season-ending injury and went on to play for the Gujarat Lions and Kings XI Punjab.

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#2 Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj Singh's IPL career didn't quite take off the way he would've liked it to

The final franchise that Indian legend Yuvraj Singh played for in the IPL was MI, in the 2019 edition of the tournament. After a few underwhelming seasons for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kings XI Punjab, the elegant southpaw was expected to bow out on a high with MI, who bought him for his base price of 1 crore INR.

However, despite a stroke-filled fifty on his MI debut, it wasn't to be for Yuvraj. The 2011 World Cup-winner's camaraderie with captain Rohit Sharma was the talk of the town heading into the 2019 IPL, but he managed only 4 games in which he scored 98 runs.

Looking forward to joining Hitman @Imro45 in the Mumbai Indians dressing room this season. Any hints on what to expect ?

— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) February 20, 2019

A champion side like MI was expected to elevate Yuvraj's game but although the team won the tournament, he was but a peripheral figure. The Punjab man, who had smashed six sixes in an over and won the 2007 T20 World Cup, retired from the IPL after the season.

Yuvraj didn't even get a farewell game and his disappointing season with MI was the last we saw of him at the highest level.

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#1 Glenn Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell's disastrous season at MI was followed up by his best IPL campaign at KXIP

Glenn Maxwell was bought by MI for 1 million USD in the 2013 IPL auction but despite commanding a massive price, he played only 3 games and scored 36 runs. He even conceded 23 runs in the 2 overs he bowled for MI.

The Australian was released at the end of the season and found a new home in Punjab. In the 2014 edition of the tournament, Maxwell scored 552 runs at a strike rate of 187.76 and showed the world what he is truly capable of in the T20 format, winning 4 Man of the Match awards as well.

MI could have had the services of Maxwell, Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard in the middle order - a frightening prospect for all other teams - but the 31-year-old's unsatisfactory performances scuppered that dream.

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