New Delhi: Mumbai Indians’ wait for their sixth Indian Premier League title has entered its sixth year, making skipper Hardik Pandya keen to end it in the upcoming edition.
With five titles each, Mumbai and Chennai Super Kings are the most successful teams in the competition. But Mumbai’s last title was in 2020.
They finished bottom in 2024 and lost to runners-up Punjab Kings in the play-offs in 2025 and Pandya believes they have waited long enough and want to be on top again.
“Ultimate dream is to win IPL for the sixth time for our Paltan. MI already has such amazing legacy… MI fans are the team’s heartbeat. The junoon, the passion when I first played, I want that,” he said at an event on Sunday.
“Play the best kind of cricket that MI and Hardik Pandya have ever played, that’s the legacy I want to be for MI and win trophies as many as possible.”
Recalling his initial playing days, Pandya said he began as a “pure batter” and worked hard to be a premier all-rounder, making Ranji Trophy debut in 2013 and breaking into the MI team at 2015 IPL, helping them win their second title.
“I was just a pure batter who batted all his 17-19 years of young age… I only knew one thing, if you tell people to run 12 rounds, I ran 15 rounds. So from there out of the blue, someone sees me and one year later I play Ranji Trophy,” he said.
The 32-year-old has helped India win back-to-back T20 World Cups in 2024 and 2026 and lauded MI’s scouting system for spotting his talent early and nurturing it.
“Playing a Ranji game, they haven’t come to see me but they were able to identify that I had something special. That shows the talent MI scouting has, that is what MI scouting does,” the right armer said.
“I had to adapt, I had no idea to look after my body, I had no idea. No matter how much someone will push, I know how to work hard… Duniya upar se neeche ho jaye (Even if the world turns upside down) I always believed in hard work. I always tell this to the youngsters.”