Last year, the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indiana (MI) went through a rough patch as they went through a terrible downfall, ultimately they lost the ‘defending champions’ tag. They tasted victory after 4 consecutive losses after which their journey remained pretty inconsistent. Out of 14 games, they only managed to win just six games, ending up the tournament at the fifth spot.
But this year, the team looks pretty confident with a new set of players and support staff members. And ahead of their first match on March 24, skipper Rohit Sharma has made a major announcement on Tuesday.
Addressing a presser along with bowling coach Zaheer Khan, Rohit revealed that he will be opening in all games this season. Last year, he mostly came to bat at No 4 while the opening slot was comprised of Surya Kumar Yadava and Evin Lewis.
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During the recent press-conference, Rohit said, “In past, I have batted in the middle order and I’ve opened also in a few games. Wherever the team requires me to bat, I have to bat in that position to make sure we get the right team composition. But this year, I will open the batting in all games and that is for sure. I have gotten a lot of success of late opening the batting and the team do understand that. Going by the current team composition, which is comprised of some experienced players in the middle order, it allows me batting top of the order.”
Rohit also spoke about the workload management of those Indian cricketers who are in the queue for boarding the flight to England for the World Cup. He expressed that he has had a chat with the players in the Indian team, who are now playing with MI and he feels that they all are eager to play and maintain the same intensity.
MI skipper further added, “We’ve been on the road for the past couple of years. You have to listen to your body. If it needs rest, I’ll take rest. We’re here for the biggest league in the world. So we know our priorities.”
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The three-time title winners will begin their campaign on March 24 against Delhi Capitals at their home ground, Wankhede Stadium.
