Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene expects his team to play a better brand of cricket in the forthcoming IPL 2025. The team finished 10th in 2024 after several controversies, including the change in captaincy, hit the team last year.
Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene expects the team to produce a better show in the forthcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), slated to begin on April 22. The team finished at the bottom of the table in 2024 and since, they have sacked Mark Boucher as coach and brought back Jayawardene, who worked wonders for them in the past. Plenty of controversies also hit the team after Hardik Pandya was appointed captain but things are much better at the moment.
Reflecting on the past, the former Sri Lanka international mentioned that the season was challenging as plenty of things happened but he remains optimistic of a vibrant future. He talked of painting on a fresh canvas with the core group intact and expects the fresh blood to learn the team culture and contribute to the team’s success. He noted that some of the old faces like Trent Boult is back in the franchise and expects the team to step up in the season.
“Last season threw us some challenges, but it’s been a big auction, and a lot of changes have happened. With that, we got a fresh canvas to start and paint our destiny. We have the core group with us who’s got the experience, who knows what the culture is, how we need to play, and how we need to win,” Jayawardene said at MI’s pre-season press conference in Mumbai.
“And with the new group of guys includes some of the old faces coming back – like Trent, who was a big part in our success in 2020. So, for us, it’s about the putting this parcel together, making sure that we gel well as a group, understanding our strengths, and have a good start,” he added.
Mumbai will begin their IPL 2025 campaign against Chennai Super Kings on March 23 at MA Chidambaram Stadium. The team will miss the services of Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah in the opening game. The captain is out with a suspension while Bumrah is yet to recover from his back injury.
