Mumbai Indians Eager to Break First-Game Jinx

Mumbai Indians, the five-time IPL champions, are looking to break their unlucky streak of not winning their opening game of the season since 2012. They face a challenging start to the season, with their first two games on the road against Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans.

Key Challenges Ahead

• Likely absence of Jasprit Bumrah, the team's spearhead, due to clearance issues from the National Cricket Academy (NCA)
• Absence of skipper Hardik Pandya, who will miss the game due to an over-rate breach last season
• Slow pitches at the Chepauk, CSK's fortress, which may aid the home team's spinners
• Shubman Gill's Gujarat Titans, who defeated Mumbai at the Narendra Modi Stadium last season

Coach Mahela Jayawardene's Outlook

"We have the core group with us who's got the experience, who knows what the culture is, how we need to play and how we need to win. And with the new group of guys, which includes some of the old faces coming back, like Trent (Boult), who was a big part in our success in 2020. So for us, it's about putting this puzzle together, making sure that we gel well as a group, understanding our strengths and have a good start."

Captain Hardik Pandya's Thoughts

"The plan for the bowling group is very clear. You get a lot of experience in it. Because, the Wankhede can be sometimes very unforgiving to the bowlers, the kind of track which we play in. So it was very, very important to bring in experience who have played – from Mitch (Mitchell Santner) to Trent."

Suryakumar Yadav's Form

Both Pandya and Jayawardene have no concerns over Surya's recent lack of runs. "He has scored a lot of runs for so many years and I am not really worried or not concerned about his form. He has batted brilliantly, he has been a match-winner for India and the Mumbai Indians, and he brings a lot of energy in the group," Pandya said.