Chennai Super Kings (CSK) chief coach Stephen Fleming said that the team will be focusing on starting afresh and well again when they face off against Mumbai Indians (MI) on September 19 when the IPL 2021 resumes in the UAE.
Both the teams have played once already in the tournament when it was being played in India in April-May. However, the tournament was postponed after multiple bio-bubble breaches in franchises leading to many players, coaches, and support staff testing COVID positive.
BCCI then decided to move the remainder of the tournament to UAE and ahead of the first match of the second leg of the IPL 2021, the CSK coach discussed his expectations.
IPL 2021: Match 30, CSK v MI- Predicted Playing XIs
“We just want to start well again but also remembering the work that it took to get a bit of form and to get those wins. It’s all about the mindset, people coming together and almost treating it like a fresh start for another tournament.
There are guys coming in from the CPL (Caribbean Premier League) and international cricket and that’s the beauty of the IPL, they come with great experience and tie them all together. I’m really happy with the work that is being done here. I’m looking forward to it," Fleming told CSK TV.
Asked about how new players have adjusted within the side, the 48-year-old said, “The style of play, the way the new players adjusted into the side and then getting a game plan that suits the players and the balance that we had. So, that was by design… which is always nice when it comes off.
IPL 2021: Wasim Jaffer reveals players to watch out for in MI-CSK match with a cryptic tweet
The way we batted and the aggressive nature in which we batted and took the opposition on and that was something that was lacking in the first half in Dubai last time. The confidence through that was good and the all-around balance was good to see."
The rivalry between the Rohit Sharma- MS Dhoni captained sides is a great one with the two sides having won a combined eight IPL titles.
Taking about the same, Fleming said: “We finished the first half of phase 1 with a loss where Pollard played one of the great IPL innings. Mumbai do play well against us, so we got to keep lifting our standards. From a coaching point of view, you want that game underway so that you know what to work on and just exactly where the team’s at. So, we’re looking forward to it as always and it’s a good encounter."
(IANS inputs)
