IPL 2025: 'Ate Nothing But Maggi, Had No Money...': Mumbai Indians Owner Nita Ambani Recalls Signing Hardik & Krunal Pandya

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IPL 2025: Mumbai Indians (MI) have built their legacy in the Indian Premier League (IPL) not just by winning trophies but by nurturing in-house talent that has gone on to shine on the international stage. With stars like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya emerging from their setup, MI has played a key role in shaping modern Indian cricket.

Speaking at an event in Boston, franchise owner Nita Ambani reflected on MI's journey in scouting and developing raw talent into global superstars.

Recalling how the team discovered the Pandya brothers, Ambani said, "In IPL, we all have a fixed budget, so every team can spend x amount of money, so we had to think about new ways of getting talent... So I remember scouting for talent, and I used to go to every Ranji Trophy match and my scouts and I would go to all these domestic cricket matches. And one day, our scouts took two young, lanky, thin boys to the camp."

She further revealed their financial struggles before making it to the IPL, saying, "I was talking to them, and they said that for three years, they've eaten nothing but Maggi, Noodles because they've had no money. But in them, I saw the spirit, the passion, and the hunger that they wanted to make it big. Those two brothers were Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya. In 2015, I bought Hardik Pandya at 10 thousand US dollars in the auction, and today, he's the proud captain of Mumbai Indians."

MI's commitment to unearthing future stars didn't stop there. The following year, the franchise spotted an unusual talent with a unique bowling action. "The next year, our scouts got one young cricketer with an odd body language, and they said watch him bowl. We watched him; he could just speak to the ball. That was our Bumrah, and the rest is history," Ambani added.

Hardik, signed for INR 10 lakh in 2015, made an immediate impact and helped MI lift the trophy in his debut season. His performances soon earned him a place in the Indian team, and he played in the 2016 T20 World Cup. His elder brother Krunal followed suit in 2016, joining MI for INR 2 crore.

Hardik had a brief stint away from MI when he led Gujarat Titans in 2022 and 2023 but made his return in 2024, taking over as MI captain from Rohit Sharma.

With a track record of nurturing talent, MI has rightfully earned the title of 'the nursery of cricket in India.' As Ambani aptly summed up, "Last year, we launched Tilak Varma, and now he is a proud member of Team India. So I think Mumbai Indians is rightfully called the nursery of cricket in India."