With two games to go, Mumbai Indians have already qualified for the semi-finals of the Indian Premier League. Their record of nine wins and just three losses from their twelve fixtures is the best in the division, and they are without doubt the pacesetters of the competition so far.

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The Indians boosted their ranks in the summer with the signing of West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard, and at just 22 years of age, he is only going to improve.

Pollard joined a host of cricketing talent in Mumbai, which includes their great captain Sachin Tendulkar - generally agreed to be one of the finest batsmen in the history of the sport. Though only 5'5", Tendulkar has consistently scored highly throughout his career, and his average of 55.57 in Test Cricket is especially remarkable.

The 'Little Master' has been awarded the Man of the Match award in four of the twelve games Mumbai Indians have played, and his prowess with the bat has been a major factor in his team's lead at the top of the table.

In the player auction of 2009, the Indians also signed South African star Jean-Paul Duminy, and the Mumbai side are finally beginning to live up to their star billing. In the previous two years of the IPL, Mumbai failed to fulfil their undoubted potential.

2008 saw Sachin Tendulkar ruled out of matches with a hamstring problem, and they lost their first four matches. While they recovered their form substantially, it was not enough to salvage a playoff position and they eventually finished fifth - just a point from making the knockout stage.

In 2009, the Indians underperformed. Eight losses in their fourteen matches was poor form for a team of such players, and they finished second last in the table, so this year has been a clear improvement.

The biggest test for Mumbai Indians will be if they can replicate their form on the biggest stage, for this is their first foray into the deep end of the tournament.

Their losses this season have come against Bangalore Royal Challengers, Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings XI, and with Bangalore and Chennai both likely to reach the semi-finals themselves, Mumbai still have yet to prove.