GUWAHATI: With Hardik Pandya likely to return to reprise his role as Mumbai Indians captain, it will surely boost the franchise’s chances of winning again against Rajasthan Royals here.
Although his absence forced multiple changes to the playing eleven in the final match without the desired success, MI bowling coach Para Mhambrey highlighted their depth to address these injury issues and backed the team to perform well in different conditions even without their inspirational captain.
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“I think that’s something (adjusting team combinations due to injuries) that you’re going to have to accept. Injuries are something you can’t control. But I think we’ve got the team, we’ve got enough guys out there to mix and match, and looking at the surface and the combinations, I think we’ve got enough guys to look around,” Mhambrey said at the pre-match press conference at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Monday.
Pandya’s illness forced a couple of changes in the team: Corbin Bosch came in as a foreign recruit replacing Trent Boult, while Deepak Chahar replaced Pandya to balance the Indian-foreign combination intact.
When asked if it was forced just for tactical reasons, he said: “Yes, I think it’s just a combination, obviously Hardik gives you that bat and ball option, a right-handed all-rounder. So, since he wasn’t available, we needed some kind of replacement who could play that role for us. So it’s a purely tactical decision that we chose with him (Bosch).”
Meanwhile, the MI captain has a good record against the Royals, scoring 506 runs in 16 games at an average of 72.29 and a strike rate of 173.29, while picking 12 wickets.
When asked if Rohit Sharma scoring quickly at the top is an “advantage” this season, the former India bowling coach responded by saying that no one doubted Rohit’s ability to continue scoring runs for MI.
“I don’t think anyone has doubted Rohit’s performance. I don’t think his performance is an advantage. We don’t see it that way. We see it in terms of what he brings to the table, you know, apart from cricket as well. It’s the expertise, the experience, the chatter on the field with the bowlers, with the batsmen. I think it adds a lot of value. So for us, I think it’s a much more holistic approach,” he added.
Defending Tilak Varma’s indifferent form in the first two games, Mhambrey added: “It’s too early for us to analyze performances or forms. It’s just 2 games. So yeah, I think just give him (Tilak) a couple of games too, and we’ll see how we do.”
‘Riyan is an intelligent captain, he supports his players’
Praising captain Riyan Parag for the calm and composed bowling changes and fielding setup in the match against Gujarat Titans, head of international player development and RR assistant coach Siddhartha Lahiri on Monday said: “Cricket is always led by the captain, and he (Riyan) has shown that he can stay calm under pressure. Even last year, when he was not a full-time captain, he never relented.”
Pointing to key decisions on the field as evidence of Riyan’s leadership quality, including backing his bowlers in pressure situations, Lahiri added: “Decisions like giving the ball to Tushar Deshpande or trusting Jofra Archer in crucial overs show confidence. When a captain trusts his players, they respond.”
Highlighting Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s maturity in standing his ground, he said, “He is very young but also very mature. He stays on his game and understands what he wants to do. We are proud of how he handles all the attention at this age.”