Chennai: Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene feels neutral venues in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 makes the tournament more exciting and interesting. Each team is playing at four venues in the league stage.
Out of the 56 league matches, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru are slated to host 10 matches each while Ahmedabad and Delhi will host 8 matches each.
One of the highlights of this edition of the IPL is the fact that all games are being played at neutral venues and no team will get to play at their home venue. Moreover, Chennai has witnessed some low-scoring thrillers.
But Jayawardene reckons the wickets are not unplayable and one of the reasons that Mumbai Indians has faired well is because the team has adapted pretty well to the conditions.
“Well I think it’s unfair to say that you need batting wickets in IPL, why is the tournament interesting is because every venue is different which makes it evenly contesting. Yes the wickets are slightly on the slower side but we have still seen scores of 150 or 160 in the last few matches,” said Jayawardene while replying to a query from ANI.
“They are not unplayable wickets they are good competitive wickets. I think we have been consistent in our approach it is challenging but we have adapted pretty well. Sometimes we will make mistakes and that is part of the game.”
“Every game is a challenge in Chennai because we are playing different teams and not just playing against CSK in Chennai, we are playing against different opposition, so we also have to adjust to different playing styles according to the teams,” Jayawardene opined.
The likes of Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard who don’t shy away from hammering the bowlers in any given situation are what makes Mumbai Indians a batting powerhouse and former Sri Lanka skipper feels his side can chase any target in the cash-rich league.
“I am pretty confident that we can chase a target if we are asked to bowl first. We believe in that ability, it’s not just Chennai but in any conditions, it’s the same for us in Wankhede where it is easier to chase the totals down,” said Jayawardene.
“We try and believe in ourselves that nothing is impossible but we can’t control the atmosphere or conditions. We can control our mindset and I know if we have to chase something down this the batting line up which can achieve the target,” he added.
Mumbai Indians will next lock horns with Delhi Capitals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai on Tuesday.