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The India captain emphasised that the team management doesn’t want to tamper with the batters’ mindsets

Alagappan Muthu24-Dec-20244:16

Rohit on Gill and Jaiswal: Such tours can be challenging to score big runs

India’s batting is in transition and two men who are expected to take it forward have had an up-and-down time during the 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Yashasvi Jaiswal has suffered some soft dismissals since his 161 in Perth and Shubman Gill hasn’t made the most of the starts he’s had.Their captain Rohit Sharma, speaking ahead of the Boxing Day Test, backed both players to succeed using their own methods.”When you have a guy like [Jaiswal] in your squad, in your team, you don’t want to tamper too much with his mindset,” Rohit said. “Let him be as free as possible and not overburdened with too many thoughts regarding his batting. He understands his batting more than any one of us, you know.Related

• India, Australia look to iron out flaws to edge ahead in high-octane series

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• MCG pitch to have 'pace, bounce and excitement', but what about runs?

“Every venue here has different challenges. So, it’s just about adapting to those challenges, playing on different pitches. The bowlers are the same.”So, it’s just about understanding what they usually do and what are their plans against certain batters when we come out to bat. And then just going out there and doing their thing.”Talking about Gill, I mean, look, he is quality, we all know that. It’s just about backing that quality and making sure, you know, we give clear messaging to him and not, again, like Jaiswal, we don’t want to complicate too many things with him.”So he knows how to score big runs. So it’s just making sure that when you get those 30s, 40s, you try and get on to a big one. Because getting in here is the toughest part. And when you get in, that is when you cannot leave that opportunity of scoring that big runs.”Rohit batted for over half-an-hour in India’s final training session before Boxing Day. He didn’t look in any trouble after taking a blow to his knee earlier.There were some crisp shots, including a couple that brought a crowd of about 200 or so people to raptures. They’d asked for the pull and they got one off the front foot right as his session ended. Rohit didn’t engage with them while he was batting but once he’d pulled his pads off, he did go over for a playful word or two.Rohit Sharma backed Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal to succeed using their own methods•Getty Images

India were able to practice on significantly quicker pitches in the nets on Christmas Eve, pitches that might bear closer resemblance to the one for the match. Rohit had a look at it on Sunday when it had some grass on it. The curator Matt Page said there won’t be excessive seam movement but that it would provide a thrilling contest.”In the previous two or three Test matches, the wicket didn’t have that much grass on it,” Rohit said. “It was dry. But this certainly doesn’t look to me like a dry wicket.”The first day of the MCG Test is expected to be seriously hot with temperatures reaching 40 degree Celsius but then it should cool down. India are weighing up the option of playing an extra spinner – Washington Sundar, who had a bat against the main bowlers including Jasprit Bumrah and who also enjoyed himself bowling to KL Rahul and Virat Kohli in the nets – or an extra seamer – Prasidh Krishna, who hasn’t played on this tour but has put in a lot of work in the nets over the last month.The Border-Gavaskar Trophy series is tied 1-1 with two Test to go and those results will also have an implication on both teams’ hopes of making the World Test Championship final in June. Australia or India, if they can win in Melbourne and Sydney, will qualify for that game regardless of other results.

“It all depends on the future of the T20 World Cup and the Asia Cup”

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jun-2020The BCCI is looking at the September-October window for holding the delayed 2020 edition of the IPL, Brijesh Patel, the chairman of the league’s governing council, has said. Whether the tournament can be slotted in there, however, “depends on the future” of the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup, which were originally scheduled for September and October-November respectively.While there is considerable doubt over the two multi-team tournaments going ahead this year, the Asian Cricket Council is still hoping to hold the Asia Cup in September, and the ICC has adopted a wait-and-watch approach to decide the fate of the T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia.”Yes, we are looking at those dates, but it all depends on the future of the T20 World Cup and the Asia Cup. Subject to that we are planning (the window for the IPL),” Patel told the .BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had also written to the state associations this week to say that he was optimistic about hosting the IPL, in empty stadiums if needed, and Patel echoed his thoughts.”Again, it depends on how the situation is in September-October,” Patel said. “We have to go by the government directive. First we need the go-ahead from the government. You can’t play a World Cup in empty stadiums. But the IPL being a league, it can be staged behind closed doors. The official broadcaster is OK with that and so are the players because they want to play.”When asked if the governing council was looking at the September-October window because it doesn’t expect the T20 World Cup to go ahead, Patel told the : “They can’t leave it till the last minute. All the teams have to prepare if they are going ahead with it. Otherwise all the alternative plans have to be in place. They should decide shortly.”If the World Cup cannot happen, each board will have to think of how to utilise the October window in consultation with the respective governments.”Patel also said that though the cricket boards in the UAE and in Sri Lanka had offered to host the IPL, the BCCI’s first preference would be to play it in India. “They (Emirates Cricket Board and Sri Lanka Cricket) have informed us that they are prepared to host the IPL. But our first preference is India, if we get the government’s permission,” he said. “It is certain that we cannot play at more than three or four venues in India, but the permissions will depend on how the COVID-19 outbreak pans out.”Otherwise we will have to explore playing overseas, which will be the last option. Once you are playing without spectators, it doesn’t really matter where you are playing as long as it suits television timings.”

Team set to unleash both wristspinners – Wanindu Hasaranga and Lakshan Sandakan – on West Indies

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Feb-2020On Wednesday, ahead of his first ODI series as Sri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur spoke about players being handed down well-defined roles within the team. On Friday, on the eve of the first one-dayer against West Indies, he went into a little more detail about what those roles were.Unsurprisingly, the two wristspinners in the squad – legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga and left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan – will be expected to make breakthroughs through the middle overs. Sri Lanka were one of the few teams without a reliable wristspinner during last year’s ODI World Cup. With a T20 World Cup later this year, the team is looking to fill that void.”The key to the wristspiners, and to playing both of them together, is genuine wicket-taking options for us through the middle,” Arthur said. “That is the key, and that’s what wins you white-ball cricket games now. We want to play that brand of cricket. We are looking to attack and looking to take wickets. I think that’s the future for this team. I think in terms of our preparation, that’s been the message. The message has been around attacking. We don’t want to play defensive cricket anymore. That will be reflected in our selection. If the two wristspinners can do the job for us tomorrow, that will be fantastic, because they will take wickets.”Wanindu is a fantastic cricketer. The way he bowls – the control of his length has been amazing. I’ve really marveled at watching him go about his business. That, coupled with his batting ability, and his fielding, he’s making a real name for himself. Sandakan, obviously, has been around the system a lot longer.”Wanindu Hasaranga is overjoyed after picking a wicket•BCCI

On the batting front, Sri Lanka have a clear idea who their top six is. Each of those players has a specific job.”The thing about our batting is that there is a license at the top of the order,” Arthur said. “You’ve got Kusal Perera and Avishka Fernando at the top of the order – dynamic. Kusal Perera will bat three. Avishka will open with Dimuth Karunaratne. They will have a licence to get us away in that Powerplay period. And 4, 5, 6 is Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews and Dhananjaya de Silva. Those are the guys who we want to control those overs 11-40. And then hopefully, we’ll have the likes of one of them, a Thisara Perera and a Wanindu, to finish it. If we script the perfect game, that’s how it would work out. We know it doesn’t always happen.”Where fitness and fielding have been major areas of concern for Sri Lanka over the past two years, Arthur also suggested there has been substantial improvement on both fronts.”I was watching us go through our fielding yesterday. Our fielding has improved massively. That’s testimony to the players and their attitudes. They’ve bought into where we want to go. And the coaching from Shane McDermott around that has been fantastic. We’ve been big on the split step. We’ve been big on trigger movements on the field, just to trigger the guys into action. To see the whole field moving is a massive improvement on where we were when we went to India with that T20 side [in January].”If you are fitter you can field better and move better. Your ability and speed to get to the ball is much better.”

Appointment suggests Bell can look forward to a career in coaching when his playing days end

George Dobell02-Oct-2019Ian Bell is set to be confirmed as England’s batting coach at the U19 World Cup.While Bell missed the entire 2019 season due to injury, he plans to continue his playing career in 2020 and has beaten several more established coaching candidates to the role.The appointment underlines how well thought of Bell is and suggests he can look forward to a career in coaching when his playing career end. He will be 38 in April and is out of contract at Warwickshire at the end of the 2020 season.The next edition of the U19 World Cup, featuring 16 sides and ODI playing regulations, will be staged in South Africa in January and February.England finished a disappointing seventh in the previous tournament played in New Zealand in 2018. India won the trophy after beating Australia in the final. Jon Lewis remains the head coach of England U19s.Former England batsman Bell this year played no part in Warwickshire’s County Championship campaign for the first time since 2000, after his comeback from a foot injury sustained during the Pakistan Super League in Feburary was ruined by a tendon issue in his left knee. It was the first time he had failed to play at least one first-class game since making his debut for the club in 1999 at the age of 17.

Cricket Association of Mizoram has sent a formal request to the BCCI to seek affiliation, which could place Mizoram on par with other cricketing states

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jun-2015Cricket Association of Mizoram has sent a formal request to the BCCI to seek affiliation, which could place Mizoram on par with other cricketing states. Jagmohan Dalmiya, the BCCI president, has forwarded the matter to the affiliation committee members for consideration.
If the affiliation committee recommends that Mizoram be admitted as an affiliate member, the lowest rung of BCCI membership, the AGM, will take the decision in September. For a new member to be introduced, the proposal needs to be passed with a 3/4th majority.If Mizoram, the only state in the north-eastern region that is not under the BCCI umbrella, is admitted as an affiliate member, it will receive financial support of up to Rs five million per annum for five years. More importantly, it may benefit from expert advice and help with regards to creating infrastructure and coaching structure in the state. After five years, an affiliate member can apply to be promoted as an associate member.Financial grants may vary depending on the BCCI’s assessment of whether an affiliate is using its funds effectively at grassroot levels. But if the association fails to submit annual accounts by July 31 every year, the financial support may be discontinued.With respect to promotion of cricket in the North-Eastern states, Dalmiya has already sent his recommendations to the New Area Development Committee, which included preparation of more turf wickets, conducting coaching programmes, development of one full-size cricket ground, and one indoor coaching facility per state.Besides its 30 full members, Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh, Sikkim Cricket Association, Manipur Cricket Association and Bihar Cricket Association (not Cricket Association of Bihar which has been in litigation with the BCCI) are BCCI’s associate members. Meghalaya, Nagaland and Arunachal, three of the seven north-eastern states, happen to be affiliate members at the moment.The New Area Development Committee, with a specific eye on the north-eastern region, was set up by Dalmiya in 2003 during his first stint as BCCI chief. The idea then was to provide all the support required at grassroots level in neglected regions. It was disbanded by his successor Sharad Pawar, but revived in 2012 by N Srinivasan. However, none of the affiliates have so far been granted promotion as an associate member, which makes them eligible for more financial grants.The BCCI conducted a tournament featuring all the seven associate and affiliate members till 2013. It was cancelled last year when it was learned that some of the associations were importing players from other states instead of promoting talent in their region.

The wristspinner recently played for MI Emirates in the ILT20 and has also played one T20I

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Apr-20242:36

Will SRH miss Hasaranga as the pitches dry out?

Sunrisers Hyderabad have signed 22-year-old Sri Lanka legspinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth as a replacement for the injured Wanindu Hasaranga at his reserve price of INR 50 lakh. Hasaranga was officially ruled out of IPL 2024 on Saturday owing to chronic pain in his heel that initially delayed his arrival for the tournament.Viyaskanth first rose to prominence in December 2020, when he became the youngest player at 18 years and 364 days to feature in the Lanka Premier League for Jaffna Stallions. In that tournament, he also became the first born-and-bred player from Jaffna, in Sri Lanka’s northern tip and once the epicentre of a three-decade-long civil war, to appear in an internationally televised game.He represented Sri Lanka at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou in one T20I. He also impressed with eight wickets in four outings at an economy of 5.43 for title winners MI Emirates – where Mahela Jayawardene is the global head of performance – at the ILT20.Vijayakanth Viyaskanth picked up three top-order wickets•SLC

Rajasthan Royals’ director of cricket and head coach Kumar Sangakkara had brought him in as a net bowler for the team in the IPL last season. He will now be working with another former Sri Lanka player, Muthiah Muralidaran, the bowling coach of Sunrisers.He has also represented Chattogram Challengers in the Bangladesh Premier League. In 33 T20s, Viyaskanth has 42 wickets at an average of 18.78, an economy of 6.76 and a strike rate of 16.6.Until early last week, the Sunrisers were hopeful of Hasaranga’s participation at some stage and were awaiting details of his consultation with a specialist in Dubai. On Sunday, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) communicated to the BCCI that Hasaranga had to be withdrawn from the IPL with an eye on the upcoming T20 World Cup in June-July.Hasaranga was bought by Sunrisers at his base price of INR 1.5 crore (approx USD 181,000) at the 2024 IPL auction in December, after Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who paid INR 10.75 crore for him in 2022, released him.

Timed-out dismissal: Mathews says that the on-field umpires had admitted to Sri Lanka’s coaching staff that they had not checked the time elapsed

Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Nov-20232:00

Shakib: ‘In a battle, I’ll do whatever is needed to win’

According to Angelo Mathews, the on-field umpires who adjudged him timed out on Monday had admitted to Sri Lanka’s coaching staff that they erred in not checking how much time had elapsed between the previous dismissal, and Mathews’ helmet strap breaking. It appears that Mathews heard of this admission second-hand.”The umpires [Marais Erasmus and Richard Illingworth] also admitted that it was an equipment malfunction and they could have gone upstairs and checked,” Mathews said in his post-match press conference. Sri Lanka coach Chris Silverwood also said, speaking to reporters after the game, that the team’s coaching staff had spoken to match officials about the dismissal, and that conversations between the two groups were ongoing.Either way, Mathews was drawing a line between what constituted a fair “timed out” dismissal, and what constituted time taken out of the game to replace faulty equipment.Related

• Donald on Mathews timed-out dismissal: 'Don't want to see that sort of thing in our game'

• Umpires informed Mathews of timed-out threat before helmet malfunction

• Mathews on timed-out dismissal: 'Never seen a team or a player stoop so low'

• Shakib on Mathews dismissal: 'Felt like I was at war, did what I had to for my team to win'

• Mathews becomes the first to be dismissed timed out in international cricket

However, the playing conditions, as it stands, does not make allowances for equipment malfunction – it only stipulates that the new batter be ready to receive the ball within two minutes of the previous dismissal, which, in a strict interpretation of the rule, Mathews was not.However, umpires frequently allow equipment to be changed mid-over if required – helmets and bats in particular. If the strap had broken one ball into Mathews’ innings, for example, there likely would have been no issues with his calling for a replacement and his taking some time picking one.”We talk about safety of the players, and you guys tell me if it’s right for me to take my guard without my helmet on,” Mathews said. “That’s where the umpires could have done a bigger job at the time because they could have gone back and checked. A wicketkeeper for a spinner they don’t let keep without his helmet. So how can I take my guard without my helmet? It’s completely an equipment malfunction.”What’s the point not checking at that time and then checking it afterwards?” Mathews continued. “You need to have your common sense in terms of using technology. It was clearly malfunction – it [the strap] just came off. I didn’t need to pull it and break it.”Although during the mid-match break, fourth umpire Adrian Holdstock had told Ian Bishop on the Star Sports broadcast that “in the instance this afternoon, the batter wasn’t ready to receive the ball within those two minutes even before the strap became an issue for him,” Mathews was correct in claiming that in fact he had five more seconds before the two minutes were up, when his strap broke.Fourth umpire Holdstock had also suggested at the halfway point of the match that it was the batter’s responsibility to have “all your equipment in place”.Mathews scoffed at this idea.”That’s quite laughable. It is our responsibility, yes – if I went out to bat against a fast bowler, it’s my responsibility obviously,” he said. “But something coming off, do you really think I would know if it’s going to come off? I don’t understand the logic.”

He took 2-19 and then slammed a half-century opening the batting to quell Guyana Amazon Warriors

Report by Saurabh Somani18-Aug-2020
17 overs per sideThere was rain, rustiness and a remarkable display by a bonafide T20 great, as Trinbago Knight Riders overcame a stumble to win the opening game of CPL 2020 against Guyana Amazon Warriors. With most players getting back to cricket after layoffs longer than they’ve ever had before, the cricket was patchy in parts – but that didn’t apply to Sunil Narine. With ball in hand he showed off new tricks, and with the bat, proved just how valuable he could be for a team with the license to go for it at the top of the order.Persistent rain meant the game began 90 minutes after the scheduled start, and was reduced to 17 overs a side. A cloudy sky and a shortened match made it a straightforward decision for Kieron Pollard to bowl first on winning the toss, but he and the Knight Riders would have hoped to chase a bit less than the 144 for 5 that the Warriors got, riding on the back of Shimron Hetmyer’s 63* off 44. However, Narine – who had taken 2 for 19 in four overs – came back out to slam 50 off 28 in the chase, which provided enough of a buffer to account for a late collapse as the Knight Riders won by four wickets, with two balls to spare.The return of Narine, the mystery bowlerHe has apparently spent the Covid-19 enforced lockdown perfecting new skills, because Narine unveiled a new bowling action in his first match back. He did away with any sort of load-up, instead hiding the ball behind his hip as he ran in to bowl and delivering from there itself. He had not been easy to read for batsmen in any case, and now proved even more difficult. Crucially, he didn’t lose any bite or accuracy with the new action. He bowled two overs in the Powerplay (reduced to five overs) and then two in the middle, getting the important wickets of opener Chandrapaul Hemraj and a resurgent Ross Taylor. Narine gave up runs at 4.75 an over, and no other bowler went below 7.Hetmyer carries WarriorsWarriors had a tepid start, with Hetmyer walking in to bat in the first over itself after Brandon King had fallen for a duck. He took his time settling in, preferring to knock the ball around rather than go for big shots. The pitch too wasn’t one where it was easy to start rapidly. Hetmyer assessed that and gradually started stepping on the pace, eventually finishing with a flurry that took Warriors to a more than competitive total. Taylor had provided the initial impetus after two early wickets, which allowed Hetmyer to bide his time. Importantly, he made it count.No rustiness for NarineIn the first four overs, Narine faced only four balls as Lendl Simmons ate up deliveries and was unable to get on with it. There was nothing to show that the mounting rate and not feeling bat on ball affected Narine in any way though, as he blazed merrily away once Simmons fell. As with several Narine top-order innings, this one had its share of balls not always middled, but it also had some amazingly struck shots. Narine gave the Knight Riders enough impetus with his half-century that despite some late strikes by Imran Tahir and an impressive Naveen-ul-Haq, they had the chase within reach at all times.

South Africa’s returning captain lauded his team’s character after they responded to the heavy defeat at Lord’s with a crushing victory

Firdose Moonda at Trent Bridge17-Jul-2017A week is a long time in politics, they say. It’s both much shorter and much longer in sport.For supporters, in a week an entire squad should be changed, a coach replaced and a mindset shifted. After South Africa’s defeat at Lord’s, half the batting line-up were under scrutiny, there was increased interest in Russell Domingo’s position especially with his reapplication still under consideration and concerns that the disappointments of a long and largely unsuccessful trip to the UK were haunting even the mostly successful Test outfit.For the squad concerned, that week was about long day after long day of trying to fix what went wrong without overhauling the system. Practically they cannot pick as many new players as public opinion demands, neither can they change the management and while they can reframe their approach a little, they can’t actually alter what is often spoken about as a “brand” of play in such a short space of time. They know that they will have to take a similar group of players and the same support staff and aim for a different result. So how exactly did South Africa achieve that?A lot can be put down to the basics, both in selection and team performance. South Africa dropped their worst performing batsman from Lord’s, JP Duminy, swapped out another batsman, Theunis de Bruyn, for an allrounder, Chris Morris and had their captain Faf du Plessis back. The changes gave them more stability in the line-up and more options in the attack. They also did not bowl a single no-ball at Trent Bridge after overstepping 10 times at Lord’s and took all their catches in Nottingham after putting down four in London.Those things were not done by the flicking of a switch or the taking of a scolding but by focusing on two key things. “One was character. The style of play we normally have is one with a lot of character and intensity and good body language,” du Plessis explained.South Africa pride themselves on their ability to bounce back, which has its own problems because it means they have to be behind first, but it has allowed them to develop thick, resilient skins. They were reminded of that after their drubbing at Lord’s.The second thing was how they respond to pressure. “In the first Test, we played some good cricket but at times that went missing a bit,” du Plessis said. “It’s important how long and how well we can do that because it puts pressure on the opposition and then also, when you are under pressure, to make sure how you respond to those moments to get the pressure back on the opposition.”South Africa’s battling effort in the first session of the match set the tone•Getty Images

South Africa’s batsmen built steadier partnerships than England by playing the patience game and their bowlers broke through England’s attacking approach. As a unit, South Africa could dictate terms throughout the match. “Pretty much from the toss to the last ball that we bowled, we were in control of this Test match,” du Plessis said.Even when du Plessis chose to bat first in conditions most other captains, including the home one, would have bowled in he was confident his men had it covered. “We knew it would be tough but and we are used to making those brave decisions,” he said. “Back in South Africa we prepare green wickets and we’re not scared of batting first. For England to only get one wicket and us to get 56 runs in that session set the tone.”Then they promoted their best batsmen to No.4 and it paid off handsomely. Quinton de Kock’s sprightly 68 gave the first innings life. Though he failed in the second innings, South Africa are set to stick with him higher up and allowing him the freedom to continue playing a naturally aggressive game.”It wasn’t a case of making a decision that’s just a once off, I’m a big believer, in giving guys a fair opportunity,” du Plessis said. “We all know that the way he plays is the way he plays, so we are not going to ask him to change that. He’s going to put pressure on the opposition and he’s a good enough cricketer to understand when to adapt his game to play certain situations, so he’ll learn a lot from this.”The batsmen and the conditions gave the bowlers enough to work with but even after removing England for 205 in the first innings, du Plessis was preparing to play a long game in search of a series-levelling victory. “A lot of people might have thought we had enough runs long before we did, but for me it was crucial we got 450-plus to make sure it looked like a really big total because the pitch was still good,” he said. “We weren’t expecting it to be easy. We were mentally preparing to take it to lunch or even tea tomorrow.”That the win came mid-way through the day was a welcome bonus for a South African side that wanted to be challenged. They spent a week preparing for a fight, because both they knew that any small slip up in the second match would turn the entire tour on its head. The Test series would be un-winnable; the trip irredeemable. Now they have more than a week before they go again. It’s a long time in sport, both long enough for England to forget and long enough for South Africa to remember.

Despite Lasith Malinga’s injury, Mumbai Indians begin IPL 2016 as one of the favourites with a power-packed line-up

The Preview by Akshay Gopalakrishnan08-Apr-20164:15

Jayawardene: Mumbai Indians have spent well on their overseas players

2015 form

Mumbai Indians’ campaign over the last two years has followed a template. In 2014, they didn’t have a single point after five games, before stringing together seven wins in their next nine matches to seal a playoff berth. Their 2015 tournament can once again be split into two parts. They opened with four successive losses, but an injury-forced change to the opening combination and several key players stepping up helped Mumbai turn it around and finish second on the points table. After edging past Chennai Super Kings in the first qualifier, they beat the same opponents in the final to lift the trophy for the second time.

Big Picture

Like most years, Mumbai begin as one of the favourites. While the length of the tournament gives teams ample time to bounce back, Mumbai wouldn’t want to find themselves in a predicament early and would be hoping for a smooth start to their title defence.
Five of the seven purchases made by Mumbai in 2016 were local players. Mumbai splurged INR 3.2 crores on Nathu Singh, the right-arm medium pacer from Rajasthan, who, it has been reported, has already created a favourable impression on Rahul Dravid, Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil. But whether he fits in a star-studded line-up remains to be seen.

Mumbai Indians squad

Rohit Sharma (capt), Corey Anderson, Jasprit Bumrah, Jos Buttler, Unmukt Chand, Marchant de Lange, Shreyas Gopal, Harbhajan Singh, Kishore Kamath, Siddhesh Lad, Mitchell McClenaghan, Lasith Malinga*, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Parthiv Patel, Kieron Pollard, Deepak Punia, Nitish Rana, Ambati Rayudu, Jitesh Sharma, Lendl Simmons, Nathu Singh, Tim Southee, J Suchith, Vinay Kumar, Akshay Wakhare
*Lasith Malinga is unlikely to feature in IPL 2016 due to injury

While it’s hard to pick a stronger suit, Mumbai’s batting looks more dangerous than their bowling. The timely recovery of Kieron Pollard, who missed the World T20, from a knee injury will come as a relief. Rohit Sharma has already indicated his preference for opening and could be partnered by one of Lendl Simmons or Parthiv Patel. Considering Mumbai’s ample firepower, Rohit could also drop anchor and build the innings. With Pollard, Corey Anderson, Jos Buttler, Hardik Pandya and Ambati Rayudu to pick from, Mumbai’s middle order is among the most destructive forces in the competition.Lasith Malinga is all but ruled out of the tournament, but Mumbai have enough bench strength to make up for it. Malinga’s absence improves the playing chances of Tim Southee – one of two overseas inclusions along with Jos Buttler. Jasprit Bumrah’s fantastic few months with India makes him a certainty and the carrier of slog-over bowling duties.Mumbai have four specialist spinners and yet have variety – offspinner Harbhajan Singh, left-arm spinner J Suchith, legspinner Shreyas Gopal and offspinner Akshay Wakhare. Despite the presence of several pacers, Mumbai chose to shore up that department in the auction, leaving their spin unit wearing a slightly depleted look. But with the Wankhede surface among the flattest in the country, as evidenced in the World T20, it may come down more to how astute the bowler is rather than the kind of bowler operating.

Burning question

Mumbai have seven foreign players to choose from and it isn’t straightforward to identify their best combination. If Simmons opens the innings, Mumbai will have to choose between Anderson and Pollard. Likewise, only one of Mitchell McClenaghan or Southee is likely to make the cut.Additionally, with a wicketkeeper already there in Parthiv, it remains to be seen if Buttler is handed the big gloves or used as a specialist batsman only.

The go-to men

Rohit Sharma had a central role to play in Mumbai’s turnaround and subsequent win in 2015. Rohit’s detractors are always ready to criticise him, and after a poor World T20, he will be keen to prove a point. Besides, Rohit has already shown his willingness to take responsibility in past editions, and captaincy has done wonders for his batting. Rohit’s 390 runs at a strike rate of 129.13 in 2014 was the second highest for a Mumbai batsman. In 2015, he amassed 482 runs at a strike rate of 144.74 – that included a 26-ball fifty in the final against Super Kings.Lendl Simmons has been a consistent performer for Mumbai. He was the franchise’s highest run-scorer in 2014, despite playing seven matches fewer than the next best performer. Simmons has also shown the ability to step up when it matters. In 2015, he replaced an injured Aaron Finch at the top and scored 540 runs to once again top the batting charts. More recently, he blasted a match-winning 82 not out in the World T20 semi-final against India after being called up just two days prior to the match.Harbhajan Singh will be expected to keep the run-flow in the middle overs in check, a task he has performed brilliantly over the years as a career economy rate of 6.61 after 195 T20 matches testifies.

Bargain buy

Mumbai weren’t the most active franchise at the auction, making just seven purchases – the least, along with Kolkata Knight Riders. Mumbai struck a good deal with Buttler’s acquisition for INR 3.8 crore. While Buttler bagged the highest price among the seven players, his imperious form during the World T20 and big-hitting ability should make for a favourable return on investment.

Availability

Mumbai are yet to announce a replacement for Malinga. There are no other known injury concerns.

Coaches

Mentor – Sachin Tendulkar, head coach – Ricky Ponting, coach – Paras Mhambrey, assistant and batting coach – Robin Singh, bowling coach – Shane Bond, fielding coach – Jonty Rhodes, assistant strength and conditioning coach – Afzal Khan, trainer – Paul Chapman.

Quotes

“It is very important to start the tournament the way you want. T20 format is about momentum. The way you play reflects in the next game. We have stressed on it. We haven’t started well, but have managed to win the title. We don’t want to repeat that this year though.”