Rohit stressed that the team keeps “all options open” but will start the tournament as a starter.
Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Mumbai Indians, confirmed that he will open batting during the 2020 IPL. In an online press conference, attended by both captain and coach Mahela Jayawardene, Rohit said that although the team maintains “all the open options “when it comes to his batting, he will begin the 13th edition of the tournament as a starter.
“I opened for the entire tournament last year and will continue to do so. As a team, we keep all options open. I’m happy to do what the team wants. I enjoy hitting at the top of the order and have been doing it for a while. But even when I play for India, the message to management is not to close any doors and keep all options open, so I will do the same here, “said Rohit on Thursday (September 17), two days before the opening game of the IPL against Chennai Super Kings.
With Quinton de Kock set to join Rohit at the top of the order, Chris Lynn will have to wait on the sidelines. Lynn, who was cornered for his INR base price. two crore, he didn’t really get going on slow pitches during the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League. He added 138 runs playing for the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, scoring his runs at an average of 17.25 with a maximum of 34.
“Lynn is a great addition to the team, but the combination of Rohit and Quinton did a phenomenal job for us last season. They complement each other well, they are consistent and they are both experienced. They are also good leaders. So why would you want to fix? something that is not broken? We will continue with that, “said Jayawardene.
“Lynn as an option gives us flexibility in the team and that is what we have always done. We try to add more value to the team, give it more options so that we can be unpredictable when it comes to tournaments and big games. Quinton and Rohit as a combination has been sparkly “.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Indians will lose the services of Lasith Malinga, who withdrew from the tournament for personal reasons. While he mentioned that Malinga’s shoes are great to fill, Rohit said MI will try to make up for her absence with the likes of Nathan Coulter-Nile and James Pattinson.
“For anyone, it is difficult to fill their boots. What he has done for MI and Sri Lanka is extraordinary. He has been a match winner for MI, whenever we were in trouble, Malinga rescued us. His experience will be missed and what he did for MI is amazing. Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Pattinson and Dhawal Kulkarni are some of the names that may be his replacement. What he did for MI cannot be compared and cannot be replaced, “Rohit said.
Rohit also spoke about the challenges of playing the tournament in a bio-bubble and praised the team management for keeping the team mentally fresh. “It’s going to be a different IPL. We were mentally prepared for it. Even before we came here, we discussed with the guys about the bio-bubble guidelines. We are following all the protocols established by BCCI. Mentally it is difficult. Credit to Mumbai Administration of The Indians have served us well. Mentally we are fresh and we are not exhausted in our hotels with facilities. Congratulations to the team management for doing a fantastic job. “
On playing in the United Arab Emirates, Rohit said: “The challenge for us would be to adapt to these conditions. Not many cricketers in our group have played here. People who have been here should share their experience with players who have not. They’ve done. Played so far. Mentally, it’s about going there and understanding that the field is working. We’ve played some practice games here and we know what to expect there. Reading the fields will be very important. “
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