Mumbai Indians, the most successful Indian Premier League team with five titles, have gotten off to a poor start this season. With three defeats, they are without a point, a situation uncommon to the franchise.
After a crushing five-wicket loss to Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday, skipper Rohit Sharma dwelt on collective responsibility as he addressed the team in the dressing room.
The theme of Rohit's speech is a reflection of Mumbai's success story over the years. The cornerstone of their success has been team effort and not just individual brilliance. Calling on the team to show desperation, the op ener said, "We seriously cannot be blaming individuals here. It's all of us. We win together, we lose together. It is as simple as that for me."
"I think a slight desperation is required from each one of us. That desperation is very, very, very important when we play, especially in this tournament. Because oppositions are different, they come up with different plans all the time. We need to stay ahead of them and on top of them. The only way we can do that is by having that slight hunger and that desperation on the field - with the bat, with the ball," Rohit added.
Mumbai can ill-afford any further slip-ups. Bowling coach Shane Bond called on his players, bowlers in particular, to stick to the plan and soak in the pressure. "The message from me is to go back to what we are trying to do against a certain type of player. If we execute those plans, then we make it as hard as we possibly can. The challenge for us is to do that when the pressure is on at the backend of the game, which we haven't done so far," he said.
On the match ahead, the New Zealander said, "Every time we play, particularly a game against RCB is always a fun game. So, in terms of motivation, that's a given in this team. One of the things that's also talked about is energy. So, motivation, energy is just expected. That's what we do, we turn up ready to play. I certainly can't fault the guys on that front."
