The debate over which franchise stands as the greatest in Indian Premier League history — Mumbai Indians or Chennai Super Kings — continues to divide opinion among fans and experts alike. Both teams have secured a record five IPL titles, with Mumbai reaching the milestone first before Chennai later matched the achievement. Their rivalry is so prominent that encounters between the two are often described as the ‘El Clasico of IPL’, highlighting their stature as two of the most successful sides in the competition.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has now shared his perspective on the long-running discussion, backing Mumbai Indians as the most accomplished team in IPL history. He pointed to the franchise’s ability to produce match-winners for the national side as a decisive factor behind his assessment.
“On picking the side between CSK and MI as the greatest team in the IPL, this will always be debatable. CSK started winning the IPL title from 2010 onwards. They won back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011 and were the first team to do so. But when MI started winning from 2013, they kept winning after every alternate year. Then they won the IPL trophy back-to-back in 2019 and 2020,” Pathan said on JioStar.
“But what I like about MI is their contribution to Indian cricket. The number of match winners they have produced for the Indian team is absolutely tremendous. How do you achieve that? First, you make your franchise big. Second, you deliver results with the team you have. Even now, MI had a great squad last season that could have easily won the trophy, but they couldn’t for different reasons,” he added.
Over the years, Mumbai Indians have nurtured several players who have gone on to play key roles for India, including Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Ishan Kishan. Opener Rohit Sharma, who captained the side to five IPL titles, has also been a major contributor at the international level.
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“CSK don’t have four Indian captains, MI do. In that respect, assembling a team and contributing to a bigger cause, I think MI are the greatest IPL team. I know CSK will always say they are also the greatest, having won five trophies too. There is no doubt. There will always be a debate and it is a fair debate. But I think MI take the edge because they have given so many wonderful cricketers and young talents to Indian cricket,” Pathan concluded.
