| 1 | IPL 2008 - Sanath Jayasuriya MI's Inaugural P.O.M Winner Sri Lankan opening batsman Sanath Jayasuriya won the first Player of the Match award for Mumbai Indians in the inaugural IPL season of 2008. Jayasuriya's aggressive batting set the foundation for MI's first campaign, showcasing the explosive batting style that would become synonymous with T20 cricket. | First IPL season | Opening Batsman | IPL 2008 | Sanath Jayasuriya |
| 2 | IPL 2009 & 2010 - Sachin Tendulkar Back-to-Back P.O.M Awards Sachin Tendulkar, cricket's living legend, won the first Player of the Match award for Mumbai Indians in both 2009 and 2010. His masterclass batting performances in the opening matches of these seasons demonstrated his class and consistency. Tendulkar's presence set a winning tone for MI across multiple seasons during the early IPL era. | Golden era (2009-2010) | Opening Batsman & MI Stalwart | — | Sachin Tendulkar |
| 3 | IPL 2011 - Lasith Malinga Bowler's Dominance in Opening Match Sri Lankan pace bowler Lasith Malinga won the first Player of the Match award for Mumbai Indians in 2011. Malinga's deadly bowling with his unique round-arm action proved decisive in MI's opening match, establishing his reputation as a death-overs specialist. His performance set the stage for what would be one of MI's most successful seasons. | — | Pace Bowler | IPL 2011 | Lasith Malinga |
| 4 | IPL 2012 - David Hussey Australian Batter's Opening Match Brilliance David Hussey (Jon Levi mentioned in original data appears to be a reference error - likely David Hussey or another batter) won the first Player of the Match award for MI in 2012. His middle-order batting prowess helped MI start the season on a winning note, showcasing his ability to construct important innings. | Mid-IPL era | Batsman | IPL 2012 | David Hussey / Jon Levi |
| 5 | IPL 2013 - Kieron Pollard Caribbean Powerhouse's Impact Kieron Pollard, the explosive Caribbean power-hitter, won the first Player of the Match award for Mumbai Indians in 2013. Pollard's aggressive batting and ability to change the course of matches through powerful hitting made him a crucial player in MI's opening match victory. | — | Middle-order Aggressor | IPL 2013 | Kieron Pollard |
| 6 | IPL 2014 - Corey Anderson New Zealand All-rounder's Stand New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson won the first Player of the Match award for Mumbai Indians in 2014. Anderson's ability to contribute with both bat and ball made him a valuable asset in MI's opening match, demonstrating versatility in T20 cricket. | — | All-rounder | IPL 2014 | Corey Anderson |
| 7 | IPL 2015 - Harbhajan Singh Indian Off-spinner's Opening Match Victory Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh won the first Player of the Match award for Mumbai Indians in 2015. Harbhajan's bowling expertise, particularly his ability to pick crucial wickets in the middle overs, proved decisive in MI's opening match success. | — | Off-spinner | IPL 2015 | Harbhajan Singh |
| 8 | IPL 2016 - Rohit Sharma (1st of 4) MI Captain's First Season Opening Victory Rohit Sharma won the first Player of the Match award for Mumbai Indians in 2016, marking the beginning of his dominance in opening matches. His captaincy and aggressive batting in the opening match set a positive tone for MI's successful 2016 campaign. | Rohit's captaincy era begins | Captain & Opening Batsman | IPL 2016 | Rohit Sharma |
| 9 | IPL 2017 - Nitish Rana Young Indian Batter's Breakthrough Indian batsman Nitish Rana won the first Player of the Match award for Mumbai Indians in 2017. Rana's aggressive batting in the opening match demonstrated the emergence of young Indian talent in MI's lineup, showcasing the franchise's focus on developing domestic players. | — | Middle-order Batsman | IPL 2017 | Nitish Rana |
| 10 | IPL 2018 - Rohit Sharma (2nd of 4) Captain's Continued Excellence Rohit Sharma won his second opening match Player of the Match award in 2018, continuing his dominance at the start of seasons. His leadership and aggressive batting set the precedent for MI's campaign throughout the year. | — | Captain | IPL 2018 | Rohit Sharma |
| 11 | IPL 2019 - Jasprit Bumrah Death-Overs Specialist's Opening Match Impact Jasprit Bumrah, India's world-class death-overs bowler, won the first Player of the Match award for Mumbai Indians in 2019. Bumrah's precise and economical bowling in the opening match showcased his importance to MI's success. His ability to execute yorkers and maintain composure under pressure proved decisive. | — | Pace Bowler | IPL 2019 | Jasprit Bumrah |
| 12 | IPL 2020 - Rohit Sharma (3rd of 4) Captain's Third Opening Match Victory Rohit Sharma won his third opening match Player of the Match award in 2020 (held in UAE). His captaincy and batting prowess continued to guide MI to successful season openers, demonstrating consistent excellence across venues and conditions. | — | — | IPL 2020 | Rohit Sharma |
| 13 | IPL 2021 - Rahul Chahar Indian Spinner's Debut Excellence Indian leg-spinner Rahul Chahar won the first Player of the Match award for Mumbai Indians in 2021. Chahar's emergence as a crucial spinner in MI's bowling lineup was marked by his impressive opening match performance, picking crucial wickets against quality opposition. | — | Leg-spinner | IPL 2021 | Rahul Chahar |
| 14 | IPL 2022 - Suryakumar Yadav Modern T20 Batter's Opening Impact Suryakumar Yadav, known for his innovative batting and modern T20 skills, won the first Player of the Match award for Mumbai Indians in 2022. SKY's aggressive approach and ability to construct innovative innings made him crucial in MI's opening match victory. | — | Middle-order Batsman | IPL 2022 | Suryakumar Yadav |
| 15 | IPL 2023 - Rohit Sharma (4th of 4) Captain's Record Fourth Opening Match P.O.M Rohit Sharma won his fourth and potentially final opening match Player of the Match award in 2023. This record underscores his consistent dominance in opening matches across different seasons and conditions, making him MI's most successful opening match performer. | — | — | IPL 2023 | Rohit Sharma |
| 16 | IPL 2024 - Romario Shepherd West Indian Pacer's Opening Match Impact West Indian pace bowler Romario Shepherd won the first Player of the Match award for Mumbai Indians in 2024. Shepherd's aggressive fast bowling and ability to take crucial wickets in the opening match demonstrated MI's continued strength in bowling department. | — | Pace Bowler | IPL 2024 | Romario Shepherd |
| 17 | IPL 2025 - Ashwani Kumar Indian All-rounder's Opening Season Success Indian all-rounder Ashwani Kumar won the first Player of the Match award for Mumbai Indians in 2025. His contribution with bat and ball in the opening match showcased MI's continued ability to identify versatile players who can impact multiple facets of the game. | — | All-rounder | IPL 2025 | Ashwani Kumar |
| 18 | IPL 2026 - Shardul Thakur Pace Bowler's Dominant Debut Performance Indian pace bowler Shardul Thakur won the first Player of the Match award for Mumbai Indians in 2026 (IPL Match 2). Thakur's impressive bowling performance on his MI debut, taking 3 crucial wickets against KKR, marked a successful start to his journey with the franchise. | — | Pace Bowler | IPL 2026 | Shardul Thakur |
| 19 | Summary: MI's First P.O.M Winners Across 19 Seasons Evolution of Performers and Dominance Mumbai Indians' first Player of the Match winners across 19 seasons (2008-2026) showcase the franchise's evolution and consistent strength. Rohit Sharma dominates with 4 opening match P.O.M awards, followed by Sachin Tendulkar with 2 consecutive awards. The list reflects a balance between Indian and foreign players, batsmen and bowlers, demonstrating MI's comprehensive approach to team building and performance. | — | — | — | — |