IPL: 4 most successful foreign players for Mumbai Indians in IPL history

The Mumbai Indians is arguably the most successful franchises in IPL history. They have won the IPL title thrice and qualified for the playoffs seven times. They have also won two Champions League T20 trophies.

Some of the greatest players in world cricket like Sanath Jayasuriya, Sachin Tendulkar, Shaun Pollock, Dwayne Bravo, Andrew Symonds, Herschelle Gibbs, and Ricky Ponting have played for Mumbai Indians.

Also, some of the overseas T20 sensations like Corey Anderson, Aaron Finch, Richard Levi, Glenn Maxwell, and Dwayne Smith have represented Mumbai.

On that note, let’s take a look at the 4 most successful foreign players who have played for the Mumbai Indians.

#4 Lendl Simmons

Lendl Simmons was superb for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2015

Lendl Simmons is perhaps one of the most destructive opening batsmen in limited-overs cricket. The 33-year-old has played 29 games in IPL and all of them came for the Mumbai Indians. He is the fifth highest run-getter for Mumbai Indians (IPL and CLT20 combined).

Simmons has played a key role for Mumbai in their title-winning 2015 campaign. He has scored 540 runs in 13 games during the 2015 season. In total, Simmons has scored 1079 runs for Mumbai Indians in IPL at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 127.

With one hundred and 11 fifties in 29 games, he was consistent at the top for Mumbai Indians and got them off to great starts more often than not.

#3 Mitchell McClenaghan

McClenaghan has picked up a lot of wickets for Mumbai Indians

McClenaghan is in his fourth season with the Mumbai Indians and one of the most successful overseas bowlers for the Mumbai franchise. He made his IPL debut in 2015 for Mumbai and has played a stellar role with the ball for the franchise during their previous two Premier League title-winning campaigns in 2015 and 2017.

The New Zealand medium-pacer has played a total of 49 games for Mumbai so far and picked up 66 wickets. The 31-year-old is a genuine wicket taker and doing the job ever so perfectly for Mumbai Indians.

The left-arm seamer has the ability to swing the new ball and is effective at the death overs as well. Only seven other overseas bowlers have taken more wickets than Mitchell McClenaghan in IPL.

#2 Lasith Malinga

Malinga was phenomenal in IPL

The Sri Lankan seamer was one of the most deadly limited overs bowlers of all time. Lasith Malinga has made a name for himself in ODI’s and T20’s with his abilities to win games single-handedly with the ball. His slow balls and yorkers have deceived some of the best batsmen in the world.

Lasith Malinga is the highest wicket-taker in IPL history. He has played 110 games in nine seasons for Mumbai Indians in IPL. Malinga has picked up 154 wickets in IPL and has never represented any other franchises in IPL other than the Mumbai Indians.

He has led them to three Indian Premier League and two Champions League T20 titles. His economy rate of 6.86 is the best amongst top 5 wicket takers in IPL. Without any doubt, the best bowler IPL has ever seen.

#1 Kieron Pollard

Pollard has won a lot of games for Mumbai Indians

No ground is big enough when this man is in full cry. The 30-year-old is one of the most fearsome all-rounders in T20 cricket. Pollard has played more than 400 T20 games in his career and has scored 8124 runs. He also has picked up 251 wickets in T20’s.

In IPL, Kieron Pollard has been a mainstay in the Mumbai Indians lineup. Like Lasith Malinga, Pollard has never represented any other franchises in IPL. He also won 3 IPL and 2 CL T20 titles with the Mumbai Indians.

The West Indies all-rounder has scored 2419 runs for Mumbai Indians in 130 IPL games at a strike rate of 144.94. He has also picked up 56 wickets at an economy rate of 8.85. His fielding deserves a special mention here and the West Indian has taken some stunning catches near the boundary ropes.