EX-CSK all-rounder crowns Mumbai Indians as “Greatest Team In IPL History” ahead of IPL 2026
Published - 22 Mar 2026, 11:07 AM | Updated - 22 Mar 2026, 11:08 AM
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Former Team India all-rounder Irfan Pathan shared his opinion on the debate over the greatest team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) ahead of the upcoming season. Pathan placed the Mumbai Indians (MI) slightly ahead of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) due to their contribution to the Indian national team.
MI and CSK are the two most successful teams in the league, with five titles each in 18 seasons. While the Super Kings have reached the playoffs 15 times, Mumbai have made 11 appearances. CSK last won the title in 2023, while MI secured their most recent trophy in 2020.
Irfan Pathan Picks The “Greatest Team In IPL History”
During a discussion on JioStar, Irfan Pathan acknowledged that both teams have had golden eras in the IPL. However, he picked the MI over the CSK as the greatest team in the league.
“On picking a 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," Pathan said.
"They won back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011 and were the first team to do so. But when Mumbai Indians started winning from 2013, they kept winning after every alternate year. Then they won the IPL trophy back-to-back in 2019 and 2020,” he added.
Chennai Super Kings secured back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011. Meanwhile, the Hardik Pandya-led side began winning in alternate years from 2013 and later successfully defended their title in the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
What I Like About Mumbai Indians Is Their Contribution To Indian Cricket - Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan highlighted the exceptional scouting system of MI. The franchise consistently identifies and nurtures raw young talent, who go on to become reliable match-winners for India. Pathan also noted that Mumbai could have won the trophy last year.
“What I like about Mumbai 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, Mumbai Indians had a great squad last season that could have easily won the trophy, but they couldn’t for different reasons.”
They Have Given So Many Wonderful Young Talents To Indian Cricket - Irfan Pathan
Mumbai Indians have nurtured Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya, all of whom have captained the Indian team across various formats. In contrast, the Chennai Super Kings have produced only MS Dhoni as an Indian captain.
"CSK don’t have four Indian captains, Mumbai Indians do. In that respect, assembling a team and contributing to a bigger cause, I think Mumbai Indians are the greatest IPL team," Pathan stated.
"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 Mumbai Indians take the edge because they have given so many wonderful cricketers and young talents to Indian cricket."
Also read: "I Liked It" - Shreyas Iyer shares story behind ‘Sarpanch’ nickname ahead of IPL 2026
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Sai Vaitla is an author at Cricketaddictor and he has been working since September 2022. Sai Vaitla...
