In spite of a forgettable ongoing Indian Premier League season, batting icon and Mumbai Indians mentor Sachin Tendulkar is backing the side and urged the players to stick together as a team in this tough phase and find a solution.
Mumbai Indians slumped to their seventh consecutive loss in IPL 2022 on Thursday, thanks to MS Dhoni’s last-ball finish at the DY Patil Stadium. This is Mumbai Indians’ longest losing streak in the history of the Indian Premier League and the five-time champions are all but out of the playoffs contention.
“This season has been a little bit tough for us but it’s always a learning process which we enjoy,” said Sachin Tendulkar during Chennai Super Kings’ chase of 156. Young Tilak Varma’s unbeaten 51 off 43 balls helped Mumbai Indians post 155/7 in 20 overs.
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“This is a new team, young team. It may take a little more time to settle down but these phases are such where you have to ride through these phases, stick together as a team and find a solution,” added Tendulkar, who played for Mumbai Indians before retiring from the game in 2013.
Mumbai Indians are the most successful side in the IPL having won the title five times in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. “We as MI have raised expectations very very high and those expectations are high because of our performances in the past performances which is a good sign,” he added.
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Reacting to a question on what his interactions have been with youngsters inside the dressing room, Tendulkar said he tries to give them solutions rather than coach the players. “I try and give them solutions,” said Tendulkar, the owner of 100 international hundreds.
“One has to understand that they were selected of what they were and suddenly coming into the team, there can’t be a lot of changes. Guiding youngsters and coaching them are equally important but you as a coach and mentor need to understand when not to coach them and give them the freedom to express themselves.
“It’s a young squad, they will make mistakes and that’s how they will learn. It’s important to give direction to the energy these youngsters bring to the team,” added Tendulkar. Tilak Varma has been the find of Mumbai Indians this season with 234 runs in seven games, the most in the side.
‘Need To Conquer Crucial Moments’
Like others, Sachin Tendulkar too echoed that Mumbai Indians are failing to conquer those smallest of margins. “Let’s first understand, in this format, there isn’t a team who has experienced what Mumbai Indians have experienced this season,” he continued.
“This format is cruel and those crucial moments in a match which don’t go in your favour, then literally the margin is like, you lose a game by two or three runs or sometimes even the last ball. It’s those smaller margins that we need to go and conquer. They haven’t gone our way this time, to be honest,” said Tendulkar, who would be turning 50 on April 24.
