07 April,2018 08:46 AM IST | Mumbai | Harit N Joshi
Mumbai Indians' pacer Jasprit Bumrah (right) takes a break during a practice session on the eve of their IPL opener against Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede today. Pic/Suresh Karkera
Mumbai Indians (MI) have no reason to believe that they can't defend the Indian Premier League (IPL) title when they step on the Wankhede Stadium turf today to face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the opening clash of the 11th edition.
Besides the solidity and variety of attacking batsmen in their line-up, MI also boast of the best death bowlers in their armoury with Jasprit Bumrah and Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman along with Mitchell McClenaghan and Pat Cummins.
Shane Bond
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MI's bowling coach Shane Bond did not hesitate to declare Bumrah as the best bowler in T20 cricket. "Jasprit is right up there. He is number one in the shortest format for a reason. That's because he has a sustained performance for a long period of time. If you ask people around the world about T20 cricket, they will talk about this bloke," Bond said on the eve of their opening encounter.
As the leader of the MI pack, Bumrah explained what makes him special. "I don't think about responsibilities. I just enjoy the job that is given to me. I don't think about expectations. I just like to focus on the situation in the match. If you don't think about what happens outside, then there is less pressure," said Bumrah, who has claimed 46 wickets for MI in 47 matches.
Though having many variations can work wonders for a bowler, Bumrah felt it is also important to have a clear mindset as far as execution is concerned. "More than new weapons, for me, a clear mindset and control are very important. If you have got good control, even if you have two-three variations, you can execute whenever you want to. If you have six different varieties and if you are not able to execute on a given day, it's of no use," he said.
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