Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma said he is looking forward to open the batting with Ishan Kishan in the upcoming 15th edition of the Indian Premier League.
In a virtual press conference along with head coach Mahela Jayawardene on Wednesday, Rohit also said that middle order batter Suryakumar Yadav is still recovering at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
Suryakumar picked up a a hairline fracture on his thumb during the final match of the T20I series against West Indies on February 22.
“I’m looking forward to open with Ishan Kishan. Surya is at NCA. We are waiting for him to join us, once we get the clearance from NCA,” said Rohit.
Kishan was the most expensive player in the IPL 2022 mega auction, being retained by MI for a whopping Rs 15.25 crore.
Coach Jayawardene said Kishan’s batting and wicketkeeping skills bring great value to the side.
“I think Rohit and Ishan is a good combination up top and Ishan is also a wicketkeeper, and there are very few who can bat in the top three,” said Jayawardene.
The former Sri Lanka captain also spoke highly of Hyderabad’s Tilak Varma, who could be used as a top order batter by MI in the upcoming season.
“Tilak is a massive talent, he has a lot of potential. It is about learning for him and we will try to nurture all the young guys in the team,” said Jayawardene.
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians will begin their campaign with a much-anticipated clash against Delhi Capitals on March 27 at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
The entire IPL 2022 league stage is scheduled to be played in Maharashtra, but the MI skipper and coach said they don’t believe their team will have a home advantage per se.
“It’s a new team, I don’t believe there will be an added advantage, 70-80% of the squad hasn’t played in Mumbai before,” said Rohit.
Jayawardene added: “We will create our own plans and we are excited to have all these new bowlers who have brilliant skill sets.”