Maratha Royals Aim To Defend T20 Mumbai League Crown With Fearless Approach

Mumbai: Defending champions Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals are approaching the forthcoming T20 Mumbai League season with the same fearless mindset that helped them clinch the title last year, captain Siddhesh Lad said on Tuesday.

Lad said the team would not allow the tag of defending champions to affect their preparation despite carrying greater expectations this season.
“We were like underdogs going into the tournament last year. Before the tournament, we had won five out of five practice games. Being champions is always a special feeling, but this year we want to start from zero,” Lad said, on the sidelines of the Maratha Royals.

“There will be more respect for us this season and people will be more aware about our team, but we just want to continue the process that we are following.”

The Maratha Royals captain said the side wanted to continue playing the aggressive brand of cricket that brought success in the previous edition.    
“We played fearless cricket last season and dominated the tournament. We want to continue playing the same brand of cricket this year as well,” he said.

Lad credited the franchise management for providing IPL-like preparation facilities to the squad ahead of the tournament.

“Our preparations have been really good. The coaches and owners have supported us throughout the preparation phase. The facilities that an IPL team gets have also been provided to us, from practice games to physios, trainers and recovery support,” he said.

Speaking about the influence of Rajasthan Royals youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on young cricketers, Lad said the batter’s game awareness and fearless approach had become an inspiration for the next generation.
“I think the game has evolved now and something about Vaibhav

Sooryavanshi is very special. It is not just about the power-hitting, but the game awareness that he has, which makes him very special,” Lad said.
“The young generation has been following Vaibhav a lot and I feel there will be many more players like him in tournaments such as the Mumbai Premier League and other leagues because there is a lot of talent in India.”

Lad also said Mumbai cricket had consistently produced talented youngsters capable of succeeding at the highest level.
“Mumbai has always produced such talent. You look at Sarfaraz Khan, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Prithvi Shaw, all of them showed their talent at a very young age,” he said.

“We are expecting someone else to come forward and show that spark which Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has shown. We are excited to see such talent.”
The Maratha Royals skipper identified youngster Ayush Mhatre as one of the promising names emerging from Mumbai cricket.

“I have seen Ayush Mhatre closely during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He is still very young, around 18 or 19, but the way he bats and dominates bowlers is something very special to watch,” Lad said.

On the changing nature of T20 cricket, Lad said the aggressive scoring patterns seen in the IPL had influenced domestic cricket as well.

“The mindset has changed. Because of the impact player rule in the IPL, teams are scoring 250 runs because batters are fearless and know they have an extra batter in the line-up,” he said.

“I feel we will also see plenty of big scores in the Mumbai Premier League if rain does not play spoilsport.”

Lad also welcomed the availability of India pacer Tushar Deshpande for the entire campaign, describing his presence as a major boost for the defending champions.

“Tushar brings a lot of quality to our bowling line-up. He has experience of IPL and international cricket, and the young players can learn a lot from him, both on and off the field,” he said.

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