Kieron Pollard
The Windies all-rounder wouldn’t have been one of the best signings of MI hadn’t luck favored him. During the 2010 auction, MI, CSK, RCB and KKR were all stuck at same price. But MI outdid everyone in the tie-breaker and secured Pollard for 3.4 crore INR.
Since then the aggressive player has been vital for MI in big matches. His 41 off 25 in 2019 final, 36 off 18 in 2015 final and 60 off 32 in 2013 final changed the game in MI’s favor. Apart from these there are multiple occasions when Pollard bailed out MI from tough situations.
The 32-year-old is arguably one of MI’s best match-winners. Along with being a player, Pollard is also a mentor for the youngsters, especially the Pandya brothers. Pollard hasn’t been quite up to his best during the 2019 IPL and he is past his prime. It will be interesting to see where he plays during the 2020 season.
Hardik Pandya
This Indian all-rounder was one of the top finds of MI. During the 2015 auctions, Hardik was bought by 10 lakhs INR and later became one of the best signings of MI. Hardik has been one of the regular members of the team. His performances also gave him chance to debut for India in 2016.
From the beginning, Hardik was known for his batting potential and skills. However later he worked on his bowling too. His improvements became evident during the 2018 season when he finished as MI’s leading wicket-taker. His average was 21.16 and strike-rate was 14.22.
In the 2019 season, his batting average was over 44 and strike-rate was above 190. The 25-year-old was crucial in MI’s fourth title win. Due to his muscular power, Hardik can easily clear big boundaries. He also has the ability to finish off games. He is still young and his best for both MI and India is yet to come.