Mumbai Indians skipper and India hotshot Rohit Sharma is looking for a better start to their campaign in IPL 2016, something the IPL side's coach Ricky Ponting mentioned Wednesday.
Although the Mumbai outfit had lifted the coveted trophy last season, it didn't have the best of starts.
The Mumbai side managed to bag just one win from their first six games in IPL 2015 before making a dramatic end to their campaign.
Looking back on the performances of Mumbai Indians over the years, Sharma, who became a household name in India thanks to his impressive displays in the lucrative league over the years, has asked his team to go for the kill right from the start.
"Over the last couple of years Mumbai has not had a good start, losing the first four games. The focus within the team is to get to a good start. It's very important to start the tournament well," Sharma was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India Thursday.
"T20 is a lot about momentum. To start off on a good note is very important. We have stressed on it," he added.
Mumbai Indians retained most of the players from last season, including the likes of India internationals Harbhajan Singh, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah. They were not that active during the IPL player auction 2016 but managed some key signings in the form of Jos Buttler and Tim Southee to bolster their team ahead of IPL 2016.
Sharma has also urged his side to take it one game at a time in the tournament where dramatic finishes are the order of the day, before reiterating about a bright start from day one. "Over the last couple of years we did not start well, but we went on to win the title (in 2015). We don't want to do that this year," the 28-year-old said.
"Obviously it's important to get some wins on board at the start and carry that momentum towards next game so that we are well placed. We want to start on a high note. IPL is a format where we have to take one game at a time," Sharma added.
Meanwhile, the likes of Sharma, Ponting and Mumbai Indians co-owner Nita Ambani were present at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Thursday to ring the opening bell.
