With the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings set to face off at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the Indian Premier League final, here is the latest from each camp.
Relaxed
Ricky Ponting, the Mumbai coach, told ESPN Cricinfo that his side had little to fear from the Chennai side on Sunday. The Indians defeated the Super Kings in the first qualifier at Wankhede and the former Australia captain is in a relaxed mood.
Execution
“There is only a certain amount you can train when you are two months into a T20 tournament,” Ponting said. “It is more about tactics and mindset rather than the skills. We are playing Chennai and we played them in the last game. So, things won’t change too much. It is a matter of execution now.”
Break
The Mumbai players were given a break after their 25-run win over Chennai on Tuesday, which gave them direct passage into the final, and the team held their first training session ahead of the final only on Friday.
Tougher
It was a tougher path for Chennai, who had to defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore on Friday, which they did by three wickets, and will look to Ashish Nehra to lead them in the final.
Back on top
The 36-year-old left-arm fast bowler made his India debut in 1999 but dropped off the radar in the middle of the past decade because of injury. Nehra is firmly back at the top of his game, having taken 3-28 in a man-of-the-match performance against Bangalore in Ranchi.
Best season
“I have got three or four man-of-the-match awards this season and that says it all, it is not easy for a fast bowler to pick up that many awards in one season,” Nehra told iplt20.com. “I have had my best season in the IPL. But I can’t just say that this is the best IPL I have had. Even in 2008 when I played for Mumbai or for Delhi in 2009 and 2010, I was bowling really well. At that time obviously I was five years younger.”
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