New Delhi, March 21 Former India left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan said that Mumbai Indians (MI) have an advantage over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the debate over the greatest Indian Premier League (IPL) team, citing MI's role in providing match-winning players to the Indian team.
"When choosing between CSK and MI as the greatest team in the IPL, it will always be a matter of debate. CSK started winning the IPL title from 2010 onwards. They won back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011, and were the first team to do so. However, when MI started winning from 2013, they kept winning every other year. They then won the IPL trophy back-to-back in 2019 & 2020.
"However, what I like about MI is their contribution to Indian cricket. The number of match-winning players they have produced for the Indian team is truly remarkable. How do you achieve that? First, you make your franchise successful. Second, you deliver results with the team you have. Even now, MI had a strong squad last season that could have easily won the trophy, but they couldn't for various reasons.
"CSK does not have four Indian captains, MI does. In that respect, assembling a team and contributing to a greater cause, I think MI are the greatest IPL team. 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 MI have an advantage because they have given so many wonderful cricketers and young talents to Indian cricket," said Pathan on JioStar.
He also spoke about how the 2026 IPL season would become a crucial learning phase for teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The left-handed batsman became the fastest Indian batter to score a century in the IPL in just 35 balls last year and was retained by Rajasthan Royals (RR) ahead of IPL 2026.
Sooryavanshi is also coming on the back of being Player of the Tournament and Player of the Final in the 2026 Men’s U19 World Cup won by India. "This season of the IPL for Vaibhav Suryavanshi will be a learning one. He has played in the tournament last year, he has played domestic cricket, and he is playing cricket in all formats everywhere.
"He played in the Under-19 World Cup, he has taken part in the Ranji Trophy with Bihar, and he has scored runs everywhere. In white-ball cricket and red-ball cricket, everyone is taking note of him. Bowlers are doing the same. Since he has played so much cricket since his IPL debut last year, other players are watching his videos and analysing his weaknesses," he said.
Pathan concluded by saying it would be interesting to see if Sooryavanshi upgrades his game when the opposition bowlers target his weak areas. "So he needs to find a way to upgrade his game and work on his weaknesses. He has slammed centuries with ease in all forms of cricket. When you do that consistently, not just in IPL but in domestic cricket, Under-19 cricket and emerging matches, your confidence keeps going higher.
"This IPL season, all bowlers will be ready with their strategies and Vaibhav will be looking to prove a point. He can do that by slamming another hundred in the IPL. When he scores runs consistently this season, that is when we can say Vaibhav Suryavanshi has upgraded his game."