4 min learnUp to date: Mar 29, 2026 12:39 AM IST
Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene believes there is just one approach to break the crew’s 13-year opening-day ‘hoodoo’ within the IPL: play a great recreation of cricket.
Talking on Saturday, Jayawardene insisted that regardless of failing to win a season opener since 2012, the crew’s preparation stays targeted on execution.
MI, the perennial slow-starters, final gained their opening match within the IPL in April 2012, once they beat Chennai Tremendous Kings by eight wickets.
As they gear as much as tackle three-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders right here on Sunday, the very first query Jayawardene took was whether or not MI would break that jinx this time round.
“It’s the elephant within the room however there isn’t any approach for us to organize in another way,” Jayawardene informed reporters on the Wankhede Stadium forward of MI’s coaching session.
“When you have a look at the season that I used to be concerned in, we had shut matches, we misplaced. I feel I’ve spoken to the boys in regards to the depth being there for that first recreation. I feel that’s all we are able to management.” “That’s what I’ve requested from the fellows to exit and play a great recreation of cricket at that top depth. Apart from that, I don’t see how else we may put together as a result of we just about put together for each recreation the identical approach. Hopefully, I can break that hoodoo,” the previous Sri Lankan skipper mentioned.
Jayawardene, however, was happy to have a sturdy squad comprising a number of present and previous captains from worldwide circuit underneath one roof.
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“We’ve one other shedding captain (New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner) as effectively,” Jayawardene replied when requested how straightforward it’s for MI skipper Hardik Pandya to have India’s present and former T20 World Cup successful leaders Suryakumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma together with him.
“It’s nice to have all this expertise; everybody brings that component. Even to have gamers like Trent (Boult), who has performed a good quantity of cricket world wide. Jasprit (Bumrah) with that have.
“That may be a core group that we constructed over a few years (and) that may be a profit we reap from that. The contribution that Ro (Rohit) brings in, what Surya brings in and each different cricketer brings in, it’s huge,” he mentioned.
Jayawardene relied on Rohit’s preparation and expertise regardless of missing T20 recreation time in current months, having not performed the format since final IPL.
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“Yeah, I feel (that’s) true. However there’s a metamorphosis in Rohit. We’ve seen the dedication on his half. He’s been coaching expertise as effectively for an extended time period – that’s what is in his management, what he can do,” Jayawardene mentioned.
“I’m fairly happy with what I’ve seen within the follow video games and within the nets. The hand pace, the approach, every part after which on high of that, he has his expertise as effectively (of) taking part in 18 years of IPL.” Jayawardene mentioned the members of India’s T20 World Cup successful aspect got prolonged break from MI duties after an exhaustive marketing campaign.
“It was nice to see that depth, how they went about it. It’s a World Cup. It’s the greatest stage on this planet, that adrenaline is one thing that’s tough to match,” Jayawardene mentioned.
“Therefore, why we gave them an prolonged interval to take a break, (to) spend a while with household after which come again contemporary in order that they know it’s a totally different begin, totally different setup.
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“However they’re strolling right into a setup they’re very aware of. These guys have been with us for a few years now so it’s a a lot simpler approach for them to get into that groove, and it’s (additionally about) conversations that we had with them about attending to that depth,” he added.