Mahela Jayawardene, the head coach of the Mumbai Indians, feels that playing a strong game of cricket is the only way to end the team’s 13-year IPL opening-day “hoodoo.”
Speaking on Saturday, Jayawardene emphasized that the team’s training is still centered on execution even if they haven’t won a season opener since 2012.
The last time MI, the perennial slow starters, won their opening IPL game was in April 2012, when they defeated Chennai Super Kings by 8 wickets.
The first thing Jayawardene asked as they prepared to play the three-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders here on Sunday was whether MI will break the curse this time.
“It is the elephant in the room but there is no way for us to prepare differently. If you look at the season that I was involved in, we had close matches, we lost. I think I have spoken to the boys about the intensity being there for that first game. I think that is all we can control,” PTI quoted Jayawardene telling reporters at the Wankhede Stadium ahead of MI’s training session.
“That is what I have asked from the guys to go out and play a good game of cricket at that high intensity. Other than that, I don’t see how else we could prepare because we pretty much prepare for each and every game the same way. Hopefully, I can break that hoodoo,” the former Sri Lankan skipper said.
However, Jayawardene was happy to have a strong team with multiple captains from the international circuit, both past and present, under one roof.
“We have another losing captain (New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner) as well,” Jayawardene responded when asked how simple it is for MI captain Hardik Pandya to have India’s current and former T20 World Cup winners, Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma, with him.
“It is great to have all this experience; everyone brings that element. Even to have players like Trent (Boult), who has played a fair amount of cricket around the world. Jasprit (Bumrah) with that experience.
“That is a core group that we built over many years (and) that is a benefit we reap from that. The contribution that Ro (Rohit) brings in, what Surya brings in and every other cricketer brings in, it is massive,” he said.
Despite not having played T20 since the last IPL, Jayawardene relied on Rohit’s preparation and experience.
“Yeah, I think (that is) true. But there’s a transformation in Rohit. We’ve seen the commitment on his part. He’s been training skills as well for a longer period of time – that is what is in his control, what he can do,” Jayawardene said.
“I’m pretty satisfied with what I’ve seen in the practice games and in the nets. The hand speed, the technique, everything and then on top of that, he has his experience as well (of) playing 18 years of IPL.”
After a demanding campaign, Jayawardene claimed that the members of India’s T20 World Cup winning team were granted a prolonged leave of absence from MI obligations.
“It was great to see that intensity, how they went about it. It is a World Cup. It is the best stage in the world, that adrenaline is something that is difficult to match,” Jayawardene said.
“Hence, why we gave them an extended period to take a break, (to) spend some time with family and then come back fresh so that they know it is a different start, different setup.
“But they are walking into a setup they are very familiar with. These guys have been with us for many years now so it is a much easier way for them to get into that groove, and it is (also about) conversations that we had with them about getting to that intensity,” he added.
