MI Goes Down The Ditch Yet Again, Faces 11th Consecutive Defeat in IPL Opener
RCB dominated MI from the word go (IPLT20.com)
Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach, Shane Bond, has expressed his dismay over the franchise's inability to secure victories in their opening matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Rohit Sharma’s men suffered their 11th consecutive defeat in the first game of an IPL season, succumbing to an eight-wicket loss at the hands of Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Sunday. The defeat compounded the frustration that Bond and the Mumbai Indians team had faced in the previous seasons.
In the post-match press conference, Bond revealed his exasperation regarding Mumbai Indians' early-season form. He admitted that starting the competition with a loss was challenging and stressed the importance of accruing more victories than losses.
The former Kiwi speedster emphasized the significance of a positive start and how the opening fixture could set the tone for the rest of the tournament.
“This is my ninth season and we haven’t won our opening game. So it’s getting frustrating. At the end of the day, it’s a tough competition. It’s always better to have more wins than losses. It’s a tough way to start,” said Bond.
Furthermore, the New Zealand veteran shared his excitement for the return of the traditional home and away format in IPL 2023. He expressed his appreciation for the electrifying atmosphere at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and how it marked the return of the traditional IPL.
The 47-year-old also spoke about the new players who might find the experience intimidating but also considered it to be a tremendous learning opportunity for them.
“We've got a few new players. They would have found it pretty intimidating but it’s much better for the experience,” concluded the erstwhile pacer.
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