IPL 2020: Rohit Sharma set to open for Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma on Thursday (September 17) confirmed he will open the batting alongside Quinton de Kock in IPL 2020. In a virtual conference also attended by coach Mahela Jayawardene, Rohit said he will start this season as an opener although the team is keeping their options open.
“I opened for the entire tournament last year and will continue to do that. As a team, we keep all options open. I’m happy to do what the team wants. I enjoy batting at the top of the order and I’ve been doing it for a while. But even when I play for India, the message to the management is to not close any door and keep all the options open, so I’ll do the same here,” Rohit said ahead of MI’s clash against Chennai Super Kings on Saturday.
As was the case last year, de Kock will continue to open from the other end, which means new recruit Chris Lynn will have to wait for his turn. The Australian batsman is coming off a cold outing in the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League, having struggled on turning pitches. Jayawardene insisted that the combination of Rohit and de Kock worked in perfect sync and the management wouldn’t want to disturb it.
“Lynn as an option gives us flexibility in the squad and that’s what we’ve always done. We try and add more value to the team, give more options so that we can be unpredictable when it comes to tournaments and big matches. Quinton and Rohit as a combination have been brilliant,” Jayawardene added.
With Lasith Malinga opting out of this year’s edition, Mumbai will have big boots to fill in his absence. Rohit added that the likes of James Pattinson, Dhawal Kulkarni and Nathan Coulter-Nile are possible replacements for Malinga, who has been a match-winner for MI.
Challenges of bio-bubble
Mumbai Indians is the only franchise that has allowed spouses and families to travel with their players to the UAE. The team management even set up a dedicated gaming room for the entire team to bond and spend time after their isolation period. Commenting on the arrangements and the challenges of playing in a bio-bubble, the MI skipper said:
“It’s going to be a different IPL. We were mentally prepared for it. Even before we came here, we discussed with boys about the bio-bubble guidelines. We are following all the protocols set by BCCI. Mentally it’s tough. Credit to Mumbai Indians management to have worked it well for us. Mentally we are fresh and not drained in our hotels with the facilities. Hats off to the team management for doing a fantastic job.”
Nightmarish record in UAE
However, UAE in particular hasn’t been Mumbai’s happy hunting ground as far as winning matches is concerned. In the 2014 season, Mumbai lost of all their five matches that were played in the UAE. Though they did manage to reach the playoffs on the back of their performances in India. This time around, Rohit & co would be eager to break the jinx and get off to a winning start.
Defending champions Mumbai take on three-time IPL champions Chennai in the tournament opener on September 19 (Saturday).
