HIS team will not get the home advantage in the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoff stage, but Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma is unfazed, insisting that his side is good enough to be a winner anywhere.
“We will be playing out now. Each and every game from now (is away from home) We just want to play to our strengths and we have the potential to play anywhere and beat anyone. It is not just the home condition,” Sharma said after Mumbai’s 14-run win over Rajasthan Royals in Mumbai on Thursday (May 16).
“Of course we have been brilliant at home I am sure we can do well outside as well. We have done it in the past and we can do it now also,” he added.
Mumbai Indians team will face Kings XI Punjab in a place other than Mumbai in the next fixture in their last league match before the knockout stage.
The playoffs will be held in Delhi and Kolkata and the MI captain pointed out that the other teams who qualify for the knockout stage will not have the home advantage either.
“There won’t be any home condition for any team. Delhi obviously hasn’t qualified and KKR lost their game on May 15 and they have not qualified for the knock-out stage.
Table-toppers Mumbai Indians have won all the eight home games this season and Sharma said he was happy that it was achieved for the first time under his and Ricky Ponting’s captaincy.
Winning eight matches (at home) is a huge thing.
Rajasthan have also won eight out of eight (home games). This happened for the first time at Wankhede. I am happy that it has happened under Ricky Ponting and my captaincy. So, I am very happy,” Sharma said.
Senior India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar missed the clash against Rajasthan Royals due to a hand injury and Sharma said he can play the next game only if the swelling subsides.
“We still have three days (before the next game). What the physio told me was there is a swelling on his hand. We just have to wait and watch if the swelling settles down. We probably would go to Dharamsala and take a call there,” he said.
“It will be too early to comment about his injury right now, it has been just two days. We have got to wait and watch what happens in Dharamsala. Probably it might just settle down and he can play,” he said.
Tendulkar injured his hand while hitting a six in MI’s come-from-behind victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday (May 13) and retired hurt after making an unbeaten 38 in 31 balls.
