New Delhi, Wednesday: Already regarded as the world's richest and most successful Twenty20 cricket team, the Mumbai Indians will now attempt to underline their status by claiming their first back-to-back titles in the Indian Premier League.
Led by senior Indian batsman Rohit Sharma and owned by Nita Ambani -- wife of India's richest man, Reliance Industries billionaire Mukesh Ambani -- Mumbai have won an unsurpassed four IPL titles. So far they have been unable to match the Chennai Super Kings' feat of 2010 and 2011 by winning the world's most lucrative T20 league twice in a row.
But Mumbai, who open the coronavirus-delayed IPL season against the Super Kings in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, head into the tournament as the bookies' favourites for a fifth trophy.
Mumbai's financial clout is formidable. Ambani, who bought the franchise for more than $100 million in 2008, has been rated by Forbes as the world's second richest sports team owner behind former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer, who owns the Los Angeles Clippers.
According to an Economic Times estimate, the Indians are worth $115 million, the highest among the eight IPL franchises.
The team has an impeccable playing pedigree too. Their founding captain was the now retired Sachin Tendulkar, the record-breaking batsman who is worshipped by Indian fans. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting is another ex-skipper. AFP
