Mumbai Indians is one of the most popular franchises in the Indian Premier League. Whenever someone reads or hears this name, all they can think of are titles galore. Currently, they are the join-highest IPL winner in the history of the tournament. They have won the IPL trophy 5 times, and have a Champions Trophy to their name as well. Only Chennai Super Kings match them on the merit of several titles won.
Owing to their great success, Mumbai Indians stand as the most valuable team in the history of the sport. And this can only be made possible because of the strong ownership group that they have.
In addition to the strong ownership, another thing makes Mumbai Indians unique and that is their strong fan base. These loyal fans always ensure to make the home games of their team in IPL a complete sellout. They always turn up in numbers to up the ante of the game and put the away team under pressure. What’s more amazing is that Mumbai Indians’ fan base is not limited to India itself. They have a large number of followers in South Africa, Europe, and even the United States.
This huge success of Mumbai Indians, along with the contribution and passion of their loyal fans helped them expand beyond IPL. It was in the year 2022, that they expanded for the first time and targeted two different countries. Mumbai Indians added two new teams to their portfolio in the form of MI Emirates (UAE) and MI Cape Town (South Africa). Later, they went on to buy two more teams in different competitions.
The first one of them was in the Women’s Premier League, the first full-fledged franchise-based tournament for women. In this tournament, they bought the Mumbai-based franchise and named it Mumbai Indians Women. Another one was in Major League Cricket, an American competition. The team they acquired there was called MI New York.
In this article, we will take a look a look at the ownership detail of the team, and the teams that are owned by Mumbai Indians.
Who owns Mumbai Indians?
Mumbai Indians are owned by Indiawin Sports, which is part of Reliance Industries Limited, one of the biggest business houses in India with interests in various industries. Mukesh Ambani is the franchise’s head of ownership, a prominent businessman, and one of the wealthiest people in Asia.
While Mukesh Ambani is the major shareholder, Indiawin Sports is run by Nita Ambani, Mukesh Ambani’s wife and their son Anant Ambani. They fully engage in the team’s strategic and tactical planning, thus guaranteeing the Mumbai Indians’ competitiveness and worldwide brand.
The support in terms of finance and strategy provided by Reliance Industries, especially after they bought the franchisee rights of Mumbai Indians, has helped the team dominate the IPL and expand the team business into other cricket-playing countries and leagues.
Teams owned by Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians (Parent Club)
– City: Mumbai, India
– League: Indian Premier League (IPL)
– Debut: 2008
– Home Ground: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
– Captain: Hardik Pandya
– Head Coach: Mark Boucher
– Championships: 5 IPL titles, 2 Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) titles
The Mumbai Indians have been a force to be reckoned with in the IPL year in and year out. With former captain Rohit Sharma on the team, the team has achieved tremendous success in the league. The team’s home ground is the Wankhede Stadium, which is famous for the spirit created by the fans, thereby ensuring that the opponents are constantly under pressure.
MI Cape Town
– City: Cape Town, South Africa
– League: SA20
– Debut: 2023
– Home Ground: Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town
– Captain: Rashid Khan
– Head Coach: Simon Katich
MI Cape Town is the Mumbai Indians’ expansion of T20 cricket in South Africa. The team was introduced in the first season of the SA20 league, which began in 2023. Despite having a tough first season, MI Cape Town has a good bunch of players. The big names on the team include Rashid Khan, David Warner, and Liam Livingstone, who give the team an international touch. MI Cape Town plays its home games at the Newlands Cricket Ground, which is architecturally beautiful.
MI Emirates
– City: Abu Dhabi, UAE
– League: International League T20 (ILT20)
– Debut: 2022
– Home Ground: Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
– Captain: Nicholas Pooran
– Head Coach: Robin Singh
MI Emirates is the new team of Mumbai Indians in UAE cricket through the ILT20 league. The team started playing in 2022, and the management planned to emulate the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Even though the team had a decent first season and narrowly missed out on the playoffs, players like Andre Fletcher and Dwayne Bravo have been helpful. The team’s home ground is Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, which provides a lively atmosphere for the matches.
MI New York
– City: New York City, United States
– League: Major League Cricket (MLC)
– Debut: 2023
– Home Ground: Marine Park Cricket Stadium (planned)
– Captain: Nicholas Pooran
– Head Coach: Robin Peterson
– Championships: 1 MLC title
MI New York, therefore, is the team through which Mumbai Indians engage the American cricketing scene in the Major League Cricket (MLC). Thus, MI New York, which had difficulty in the league stages, became the kings in 2023. Some notable contributions they made include Nicholas Pooran, who scored a superb knock of 137 runs in the final. The team will play at the Marine Park Cricket Stadium, its new home ground and base.
Mumbai Indians Women
– City: Mumbai, India
– League: Women’s Premier League (WPL)
– Debut: 2023
– Home Ground: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
– Captain: Harmanpreet Kaur
– Head Coach: Charlotte Edwards
– Championships: 1 WPL title
The Mumbai Indians Women’s team was launched during the Women’s Premier League (WPL), which kicked off in 2023. With Harmanpreet Kaur leading the team, the team performed well in the season and won the WPL title. The Wankhede Stadium remains a fort for the Mumbai Indians, whether it is the men’s or women’s team. The squad comprises some star players, such as Hayley Matthews and Natalie Sciver-Brunt, who contributed to the championship.
Mumbai Indians have also diversified their brand outside the IPL by having teams in South Africa, UAE, United States and India in cricket. Reliance Industries Limited, led by Mukesh Ambani, Nita Ambani, and Anant Ambani, has owned these franchises and has played a pivotal role in their achievement. From MI Cape Town to MI New York, each team represents the core values of the Mumbai Indians and the strategic plan to penetrate the international cricket-playing nations.
Thus, with Mumbai Indians expanding worldwide, people look forward to more victories and thrilling cricket from these multiple teams. Whether it is the glamour of the Indian Premier League (IPL) or the budding leagues in South Africa and the UAE, the Mumbai Indians’ dominance cannot be questioned.
