Mumbai Indians is probably the best-managed side in IPL history. Apart from investing well, the franchise is also known to groom youngsters. However, like almost every other franchise, Mumbai has also had to let go of a few players who later did well. A few of them, in fact, captained a different side in the competition. In this article, we take a look at five popular players released by Mumbai Indians who later went on to captain a different side in IPL.
1) Shikhar Dhawan (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Not many remember, but Shikhar Dhawan was part of Mumbai Indians for the 2009 and the 2010 editions of IPL. For 17 games for the franchise, the opener scored 236 runs at an average of 16.50. However, he was still a budding cricketer then and hence, Mumbai released him.
However, since then, Shikhar Dhawan has gone on to become a prolific run-scorer in IPL. He is currently the second-highest run-getter in the competition, just below Virat Kohli. When he played for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Dhawan captained the side for a few games. Hence, he is part of this list of players released by Mumbai Indians who later went on to captain a different side in IPL.
2) Ajinkya Rahane (Rajasthan Royals and Rising Pune Supergiants)
For the first three seasons of IPL, Ajinkya Rahane was part of the Mumbai Indians. Being a local boy, Mumbai had him on the payroll in the uncapped category. He did not get too many opportunities, and later, Ajinkya made the move to Rajasthan Royals.
The highest-scoring batsman for RR so far, Rahane also captained the franchise for a while. When RR was banned from the competition, Rahane played for Rising Pune Supergiants and skippered the team for a few games, as well.
3) Zaheer Khan (Delhi Capitals)
Zaheer Khan played for Mumbai Indians between 2009 and 2010 and then in 2014. He currently holds a position in the backroom staff of the franchise. Zaheer is also one of the players released by Mumbai Indians who later went on to captain a different side in IPL.
In 2016, Delhi Capitals had a young side and hence, they needed an experienced captain. Therefore, Zaheer was given the role and the pacer was at the helm of affairs for 23 games. In that period, he helped Delhi win a total of 10 encounters.
4) Dinesh Karthik (Kolkata Knight Riders)
In 2012 and 2013, Dinesh Karthik played for Mumbai Indians. It was a productive time for both the player and the franchise. DK had gone off the radar, and in Mumbai, he was promoted up the order. This helped him regain form, and hence, Dinesh found himself back in the scheme of things. In 2013, the wicket-keeper also played a crucial part in MI’s first IPL victory.
After being released by Mumbai, DK had stints in teams such as Delhi and RCB. He captained a few games in Delhi, but it was in KKR that he was appointed as a permanent captain. In 2020, he had to give up captaincy to Morgan due to unconvincing results.
5) Glenn Maxwell (Punjab Kings)
Mumbai Indians is where Glenn Maxwell announced himself in IPL. In 2013, he was part of the title-winning unit. Next year, he earned a big move to Punjab, and he had yet another stunning season. In 2017, Maxwell skippered Punjab for 14 games. Hence, he is part of the list of players released by Mumbai Indians who later went on to captain a different side in IPL.
Although JP Duminy also is a candidate for this group, based on popularity, it was the man from Australia who qualifies for this list. Maxwell is currently at RCB, enjoying a perfect campaign.
