Rohit eyeing winning start for Mumbai Indians

Mumbai, April 7। Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma on Thursday said his team is positive about a winning start and grabbing early momentum in the ninth edition of the cash-rich T20 cricket league.

Defending champions Mumbai start their campaign against new franchise Rising Pune Supergiants at the Wankhede Stadium here on Saturday.

"Over the last couple of years Mumbai has not had a good start, losing the first four games. The focus within the team is to get to a good start. It's very important to start the tournament well," Rohit said at a press conference here.

"T20 is a lot about momentum. To start off on a good note is very important. We have stressed on it. Over the last couple of years we did not start well, but we went on to win the title (in 2015). We don't want to do that this year,” he said.

Mumbai over the past two years have failed to win their opening matches but the skipper hoped to turn the tables this time around.

"Obviously it's important to get some wins on board at the start and carry that momentum towards the next game so that we are well placed. We want to start on a high note. IPL is a format where we have to take one game at a time," the skipper said.

“Along with MI, they (Chennai Super Kings) have been one of the most consistent teams in IPL. The kind of quality they brought to the table was immense. Yes, we will miss them as a team. Everyone will miss playing against them as they were tough competitors,” he added.

The 28-year-old said the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Pune will aim to also get off to a winning start and his team is ready to face the challenge.

“It’s (Supergiants) a new team and some of them (old Chennai Super Kings players) are there, but obviously it won’t be the same. Knowing Dhoni, he will want to start off on a winning note. We will take this game as another game,” Rohit concluded.

Agency