Mitchell McClenaghan is celebrating his 37th birthday today. The left-arm fast bowler from New Zealand has a special place in the hearts of the Mumbai Indians fans in IPL. His left-arm fast-bowling and wicket-taking skills helped the Mumbai-based franchise win many matches in the league. He was also a part of MI’s championship wins from 2015 to 2020.
McClenaghan has now retired from IPL and international cricket but continues to entertain the fans by playing in Legends League Cricket. While McClenaghan was not at his best in the final phase of his career, there was a time when he was at his peak and set the following three records which no other cricketer has achieved.
1. Mitchell McClenaghan has the best bowling figures for Mumbai Indians in IPL Finals
Over the years, several world-class bowlers have represented the Mumbai Indians in IPL Finals, but McClenaghan owns the record for the best figures at the grand stage. The left-arm fast bowler bowled a magnificent spell of 3/25 in four overs against Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2015 Final.
McClenaghan picked up the big wickets of Michael Hussey, Dwayne Bravo and Pawan Negi to help the Mumbai Indians become two-champions of the league.
2. Mitchell McClenaghan has the best bowling figures for New Zealand on ODI debut
McClenaghan also owns the record for the best spell by a Kiwi bowler on ODI debut. The left-arm fast bowler bowled a spell of 4/20 in 10 overs against South Africa on debut. He bagged the wickets of Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers, Robin Peterson and Dale Steyn in that match.
3. Most powerplay wickets during the 2015-18 IPL seasons
Happy Birthday @Mitch_Savage 💙
— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) June 11, 2023
– Best Bowling for MI In IPL Final (3/25)
– Joint Fastest Pacer to pick 50 ODI Wckts (23 match)
– Best Bowl fig by NZ bowler on ODI Debut (4/20)
– 2nd Fastest MI bowler to Pick 50 Wckts (after Malinga)
– Most Powerplay Wckts during 2015-18 IPL pic.twitter.com/dRN9hNNPum
Another IPL record held by McClenaghan is for taking the highest number of wickets while bowling in the powerplay of IPL matches played from 2015 to 2018. Powerplay is the most challenging phase to bowl in a T20 match because only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle, but McClenaghan managed to trouble the batters a lot.
