Kishan said MI aims to win the opening game of the IPL 14 against the RCB.
Mumbai Indians' (MI) Ishan Kishan believes that the already star-studded Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is now an even stronger unit with the addition of overseas cricketers Glenn Maxwell and Kyle Jamieson in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021).
However, Ishan, the leading run-getter for Mumbai Indians (MI) last year, said the defending champions are also up for the challenge against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL 2021 opener on Friday (April 9) in Chennai, as they are aiming to break the jinx of the opening match in the league this season.
Notably, Maxwell and Jamieson broke the bank in the IPL 2021 auction with the Australian all-rounder was brought for INR 14.25 crore while the New Zealand pacer was snapped at a whopping INR 15 crore by the RCB in February.
Ahead of the IPL 14 opening clash between RCB and MI on Friday, MI’s pocket dynamite said RCB-led by Virat Kohli has so many good players and legendary players like AB de Villiers and India captain himself as he hinted at the breathtaking contest between the two sides in Chennai.
Ishan said in a video posted by MI on Twitter on the opponents RCB before the IPL 14 clash on Friday: “There are so many good players… legendary players in that team and also the new recruits that have come in like Jamieson, Maxwell… They are even stronger now.”
Well, the MI is looking to start their title defense in the IPL 2021 opener against RCB on a winning note and Kishan said, “We are focusing this season to win our first match, something we haven’t done.”
The 22-year-old further said the Rohit Sharma-led franchise isn’t dependent on individual performance in the T20 league and that’s the best thing about the five-time IPL champions.
He further noted, “Last season we had talked about that we need to win the even (numbered) year and we did in a very good manner. We played extraordinary cricket. It wasn’t about individual performances, we played as a team everyone performed. In each and every game there was a new man of the match. That’s the best part of a team to know that all your players are in good form.”
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