Rohit Sharma was a disappointed captain as Mumbai Indians (MI) coped a five-wicket defeat at the hands of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2020 opener on Saturday (September 19) in Abu Dhabi.

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Asked to bat first, the defending champions posted 162/9 in 20 overs. Saurabh Tiwary was the top-scorer for the team with 31-ball 42 while Quinton de Kock hit 33 off 20 balls.

In reply, CSK rode on Ambati Rayudu’s 48-ball 71 and Faf du Plessis’ 44-ball 58* to chase down the target with four deliveries to spare.

Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Rohit said: “None of our batsmen carried on for us, like du Plessis and Rayudu did for CSK. I think we were 85 in the first 10 overs. Credit to the CSK bowlers, they bowled well at the end to pull back things. Something for us to learn.”

“Still early days. We all want to start really well, it’s crucial in this tournament where momentum is important. Few things for us to learn from this game, we did make few mistakes. Hopefully we’ll rectify those and come out smarter in the next game.”

Rohit also felt that his team need to adapt to the conditions better.

“We need to adapt to the pitches, it got better with the dew coming. You need to hit the gaps and focus on that part of the game. The opposition can tie you down, it’s all about understanding what we need to do,” he remarked.

Asked about the feeling of playing in empty stadiums, Rohit said: "We are used to people cheering for us, and we knew this (empty stands) was on the cards. Anyway, this is new normal, but I hope for a while and hope that things get better soon."

Mumbai Indians will face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their second game on Wednesday (September 23) in Abu Dhabi.