IN what has easily been the most closely fought edition of the Indian Premier League, Mumbai Indians have been the only team to perform consistently
IN what has easily been the most closely fought edition of the Indian Premier League, Mumbai Indians have been the only team to perform consistently.
As Mumbai head into their match against Royal Challengers Bangalore today, thereu00a0 are just a few league games remaining. The Sachin Tendulkar-led side though has already booked a place in the semi-finals with the other three spots still up for grabs.
And Praveen Amre, who was part of the team's coaching staff last year, believes Mumbai's position gives them a great chance to prepare well for the semi-final.
Mumbai brought in a few new faces for their last game against Delhi Daredevils but barring Lasith Malinga, all the key players took the field.
Mumbai Indians players celebrate the wicket of Virender Sehwag during
their league match against Delhi Daredevils. PIC/SURESH KK
Momentum has been given a lot of importance in the IPL considering the hectic schedule and Mumbai might not want to tinker too much with the combination. But Amre felt that the team should experiment as much as
possible.
"Momentum is important but Mumbai are high on confidence and are playing very good cricket. So, losing momentum is not a major concern. And while other teams are still fighting for a place in the semi-final, Mumbai have already qualified. They can now use this to their advantage," Amre said.
"They can try out players who have not got a chance so they can have more options when it comes to selecting the team. It can help them improve the balance of the team even further. Also, they can rest key players, as they have nothing to lose in the remaining games. The schedule is very hectic and players feel mentally and physically exhausted. This way, they can be fresher and put in a bigger effort in the semi-finals," Amre said, adding that the quality of players has been the most important reason for the team's change in fortunes. This is the first time Mumbai have made the last four.
"Sachin Tendulkar's form has been a great help to the side. But they also have a lot of quality players and hence the side has more depth now. Players from ICL (Indian Cricket League) have also played their part well. The team is more balanced now and hence they have been performing so well this season," Amre added.
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