Mumbai, who have recorded 10 straight wins at the Wankhede, will they horns with CSK today
MI skipper Rohit Sharma hits out during a practice session at the Wankhede yesterday. Pic/Atul Kamble
The Wankhede seems to have become a fortress for the Mumbai Indians and the blue brigade will look to continue their dominance when they take on Chennai Super Kings this evening.
MI skipper Rohit Sharma hits out during a practice session at the Wankhede yesterday. Pic/Atul Kamble
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Rohit Sharma & Co recorded their 10th successive win in the IPL here on Tuesday, beating Royal Challengers Bangalore and would be eager to extend their unbeaten run.
So, what makes the Wankhede so special for MI? "There is a sense of calmness when we bat and bowl here. If you see the last game, nobody would have given us a chance to reach 187 after we were four down in 10-12 overs. But if you stay till the end, you can score well," explained Rohit yesterday.
'Good turn and bounce'
"Another important thing is we go for wickets here as there is good turn and bounce. We understand this ground well. We know what line and length to bowl here," he added.
"The crowd is another factor. They really get behind us and cheer us from the first ball till the end. We want to do something special for them every time we play here."
No IPL team has been as successful on their home turf as Mumbai in the history of the cash-rich T20 tournament. Rajasthan Royals come closest with nine successive wins so far (eight wins in Jaipur in IPL-6 and one in Ahmedabad against KKR on Monday).
Their winning streak at home was broken on Thursday when RR lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad in Ahmedabad, which is their home ground for this season.
Meanwhile, Rohit is hoping their star batsman Kieron Pollard keeps his temper under check. The West Indian was involved in an ugly spat with RCB's Mitchell Starc in their last match.
"It happened in the heat of the moment. I have explained to him about on-field behaviour. Hopefully, he won't repeat it again. Nobody wants to hamper the spirit of the game," said Rohit.
50.75
Mumbai Indians' hard-hitter Kieron Pollard's average in the current edition of IPL