Mumbai Indians to continue with Rohit Sharma, de Kock as openers despite Lynn's addition

With just two days remaining for the IPL 2020 to kickoff, Mumbai Indians have informed that the squad will persist with Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock as openers despite the addition of explosive batsman Chris Lynn to their arsenal. Head Coach Mahela Jayawardane added that the duo has been consistent and he does not see a reason to disturb the combination. Mumbai Indians will face MS Dhoni-led CSK in the opening clash of IPL 2020 on Saturday. 

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, skipper Rohit Sharma and Mahela Jayawardane also stressed upon the loss of veteran Lasith Malinga from the squad. Adding that the veteran speedster is irreplaceable, Rohit Sharma said that whatever Malinga has done for the franchise is not 'comparable'. The skipper also stated that pacers like Nathan Coulter-Nile, Dhawal Kulkarni, and Trent Boult, who are likely to replace Malinga have been included in the side without any pressure and baggage.

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Speaking of the squad's preparations after the COVID-forced break, Jayawardane said, "Lot of the guys have trained in their own countries. So workload wise they are okay. Match preparations were the key. We designed most of our training sessions accordingly so that they are put under pressure." 

The duo also touched upon the squad's poor performance during the 2014 edition of the IPL when it was held in the UAE. "Yes, we didn't have a great time. We have a totally different squad now. Its a different thought process. Understanding the pitches here is going to play a bigger part. It will be very crucial to adapt," said the Mumbai Indians skipper. Talking about his own role, Rohit said he will continue to open. "I opened the entire tournament last year and I will continue to do that. Again I keep all the options open, whatever the team wants, happy to do that.

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CSK to face MI in opener

Defending champions Mumbai Indians will face MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings in the opening clash of the tournament on September 19 in Abu Dhabi. Compared to the regular 8 pm IST start, the games will start half an hour earlier in the upcoming edition. The afternoon matches are set to begin at 3:30 PM IST while the evening games will commence at 7:30 PM IST.  

After the tournament opener on Saturday, Dubai will host its first game on Sunday when Delhi Capitals take on Kings XI Punjab followed by the third match on Monday between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore. In all, 24 matches will be held in Dubai, 20 in Abu Dhabi and 12 in Sharjah, while the venues for playoffs will be announced later.

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Mumbai Indians Full Squad 

Rohit Sharma, Sherfane Rutherford, Suryakumar Yadav, Anmolpreet Singh, Chris Lynn, Saurabh Tiwary, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell McClenaghan, Rahul Chahar, Trent Boult, Mohsin Khan, Prince Balwant Rai Singh, Digvijay Deshmukh, Hardik Pandya, Jayant Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Anukul Roy, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ishan Kishan, Quinton de Kock, Aditya Tare

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