5 Players you didn't know once played for Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians, one of the most successful teams in the history of the Indian Premier League, are never shy of assembling a galaxy of stars. In their initial years, Mumbai were always looking to buy the best player available in the market, but the trend changed after a few years when they started investing more in Indian players and recruiting foreign cricketers that fit the system. 

That worked for them for at least eight years before the 2022 mega-auction took place. That year, the franchise had to let go of several of its key players, which put them in trouble and since then, they finished at the bottom of the table in two out of three seasons. The 2025 mega-auction hence holds massive importance to the team. They would look forward to building a cracking team that can help them get back to winning ways.

Meanwhile, several players played for MI in the last 17 years, but fans ended up forgetting about them because not everyone could make the most of the opportunities.

Here is a list of five players you probably didn’t know who played for Mumbai Indians:

5. Jos Buttler

Before Jos Buttler became a legend of white-ball cricket, he played for Mumbai Indians for two seasons. The wicketkeeper-batter had tremendous potential and for the same reason, the franchise spent INR 3.8 crore for him in the auction, but couldn’t make the most out of the opportunities.

The 34-year-old played 14 games for MI in the 2016 edition, scoring just 255 runs at an average of 23.18. He was striking the ball well, but consistency is one area that he had to excel in, which the England international struggled. Even so, Mumbai gave him the confidence and backed him in the 2017 season. In that season, he played 10 games and scored just 272 runs at an average of 27.20.

Following which, the franchise decided to release him, especially with the mega-auction in the corner. He went on to join Rajasthan Royals, where the cricketer made a name for himself and became an IPL legend, Overall, he has played 107 games in the cash-rich league and scored 3582 runs at an average of 38.10. He also has seven centuries to his name in the tournament.