Captain Rohit Sharma and chief coach Mahela Jayawardene confident of team delivering in Indian Premier League final against Rising Pune Supergiant in Hyderabad tonight after several wake-up calls during the tournament
Mumbai Indians' chief coach Mahela Jayawardene and skipper Rohit Sharma during a net session at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 8 ahead of the clash vs Kolkata Knight Riders. PIC/SURESH KARKERA
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The odds are stacked against Mumbai Indians (MI) going by stats and recent history, if they count for anything on a cricket field, as the two-time champions take on Rising Pune Supergiant in the Indian Premier League-10 final at Uppal here today.
Mumbai have been in the final on three previous occasions and have triumphed twice. They were also the pre-tournament favourites for the title. Unlike previous editions, they had shed the slow starters tag and was the first team to make it to the play offs. So, what triggered their stocks to take a beating. First, they have lost to their today's opponents, Rising Pune Supergiant thrice in succession in this IPL.
That loss in Hyderabad
They have also lost the only match they played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Uppal, the venue for the final. Their strike bowler Mitchell McClenaghan is injured and in batting, especially the top and middle order, there is a lack of consistency among their top players. This indicates that they perhaps peaked a little too early. But skipper Rohit Sharma, speaking to the media on eve of the final, said on Saturday: "I know we don't have a great history against Pune. Obviously, they have played some good cricket throughout the tournament. But I would like to put it this way - we were not good on those days, that's probably the reason we lost those games. On Sunday, we need to make sure that we are better than them, play good cricket, and focus on what we need to do as a team. If we get all these things right, I am sure the result will take care of itself. It is important to focus on the process rather than look too far ahead."
Rohit not worried
He also stressed that he is not bothered by the inconsistency, if one may call it so, in their batting because someone or the other has stood up and delivered whether it is their batting or bowling.
"We didn't have any individual brilliance throughout the tournament, but still we are in the final which shows that someone or the other has taken up the responsibility and done the job for us. It shows that we have worked as a team.
"I am not worried about our key players not delivering consistently because they haven't had opportunities consistently. Not everybody can have a good day everyday," said the skipper.
Though there have been ups and downs in the campaign, MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene said that it was good to keep the players on their toes coming into the final. "We got a wake-up call against Pune in our first game and realised that we have to play better cricket than that. We got into some momentum, won some close matches, made sure that we kept going, but again, Pune gave us a wake-up call in the middle of the season and made us regroup so that we don't slack towards the latter part of the tournament.
MI word... a team!
"It was a good team effort, a lot of guys put their hands up in crucial moments and won us games to be in the play offs. Then again, they gave us another wake-up call and we had to go to Bangalore, play a good game of cricket to be here. I helped all the boys regroup again and be on their toes coming here."
So, though MI may not start as favourites, they are ready to take the bull by the horns.
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