Mumbai Indians’ Director of Cricket, Zaheer Khan, answered a bunch of questions from the media in an exclusive press conference today. One game down, the team is looking to open their win count.

From Hardik’s absence in the bowling attack to the tale of Marco Jansen’s find to become a part of Mumbai Indians, here is everything that Zaheer spoke about in the presser:

How difficult is it to justify the defending champions tag despite having five titles?

Zaheer: “I think we are not here to justify anything. It is just the camaraderie we share amongst each other. Everyone looks forward to the IPL season when they arrive. They are happy with each other. You can see the bonding and the excitement in the camp. All those things keep us going, I believe. It’s always about going out there and performing. We all understand and know how difficult IPL is as a tournament and what kind of standard of cricket is played in IPL. So you have to just keep pushing yourself and that’s what we try to do. We keep doing the same things, we try and continue the processes, and importantly, it is about enjoying our cricket.”

Do you think Shakib-al-Hasan makes KKR more difficult to play over Sunil Narine?

Zaheer: “You’ve seen only a very short part of the IPL so far, which is what I was trying to mention earlier and the point across. IPL is a highly competitive tournament. You go through any team, you will see that any team can beat any other team on any given day. That’s something which we have to keep in mind. It’s a good challenge and that’s what we really thrive on. As a cricketer, as a team, it’s all about going out there and accepting those challenges and better yourself. With that regard, I have seen RCB doing the same thing, CSK also came very strong there, DC also had an upper hand with their batting in that game. You’ve seen SRH, they’re also, in these conditions, going to be a great side, and KKR managed to beat them. So, every team is going to be doing their homework, going to be prepared and identify what went wrong in the gaps and that’s a process that is followed in IPL. And that is why IPL is such a high standard tournament. We are looking forward to the challenges is what we can say at this point.”

Tell us what happened to Hardik and an update on whether he is going to bowl tomorrow.

Zaheer: “Hardik as a whole package is always of great value. Everyone knows that. It was a workload related thing in the last game. He bowled the whole of England series, bowling nine overs in the last ODI, and that’s why after consultation with the physios, we had to take that approach. There was a little bit of a shoulder concern, but I don’t think it is worrisome. You will very soon see him bowl. The timelines you will have to ask the physio, but in terms of Hardik the Bowler coming in this tournament, we are very confident that he will be chipping in with the ball in his hand as well.

With Quinton de Kock and Adam Milne now available, will you still play Chris Lynn and Marco Jansen since they are adjusted to the Chepauk wicket?

Zaheer: “We will have to wait till tomorrow. We will make the decision closer to the game. But very excited with Marco as well, you rightly said that the squad for us is looking very good. All the guys when I see them in practices are upbeat and are waiting for their opportunity. When you’re a part of a good team, a champion side, you have to wait for opportunities and that’s something all the individuals, the whole group are aware of. Similarly, when you see a youngster like Marco going on and making that kind of impact, obviously he was nervous, we have all been there, it was his first game on a big occasion but now he’s nice and relaxed. That’s the exciting part. He made a good comeback in the game as well. Lynn is a pro. You’ve seen his press conference and the dressing room chat as well. He is a good character to have around in the dressing room, jokes around and everything. So, even he was asking us in jest if he is going to get the next game or not. So, that’s how it goes. I think as professional athletes, you have to be prepared, you have to align yourself with how the team management is thinking and the communication is going to be key.”

How important is the sixth bowler in the T20 format for the team? Your views on that and how MI is planning to tackle the situation.

Zaheer: “Exactly how we tackled it last year. Pollard is our sixth bowling option. He has been consistent, he is an experienced campaigner here. So he is definitely going to be our sixth bowling option. Whenever Hardik is available and he is going to start bowling, he will be a bowling option as well. I think with that department, we are not very concerned, you have to just adapt and adjust. This year around it is a different format, so from that point of view, we will need to have that adaptability and flexibility around in the squad as well with not playing in your home ground. That is something which we accept and we are just planning accordingly with regard to the season ahead.”

What according to you has been MI’s approach in terms of making young players mentally ready to handle the international stage without nerves?

Zaheer: “I think giving them the freedom to express themselves. That is very important as a setup, we encourage them to bring their original self out there in the middle. When you don’t have that clutter of thought, you are able to express yourself freely. So as a group, we encourage that. We have healthy constructive discussions around what they can add to the game, how they can better themselves. As athletes, as cricketers, you need to always evolve yourselves, add new things to your game and understand your game better. And that process if you can fast-track in some way, it goes a long way in a cricketer’s career. So we try hard. We are lucky and fortunate enough to have the squad and cricketers who keep pushing the boundaries.”

Given Chris Lynn performed well in the first game and Quinny is back for the second, who is the team looking at to open the game?

Zaheer: “It’s a good headache to have as the management. Like I was earlier saying, we are lucky and fortunate to have such a squad, where people are waiting to grab opportunities and pushing each other. That’s the exciting part. In terms of the way ahead, you’ll have to wait till tomorrow, but all I can say is as management when you have these kinds of headaches, it’s assuring that you’re set well in the tournament.”

Based on MI’s bowling against RCB, which area are you most satisfied with and which needs some improvement in?

Zaheer: “It is very early in the tournament. In this format, we understand that not everyone on the field is going to have a great day. That little bit of fine-tuning, that little bit of homework and a touch-up of skills is always required. So we looked at it that way. On the whole, I felt it was a good game of cricket. For the first game, we were happy with how it went. With regard to the word required as we move along in the tournament, that momentum, which often is talked about, there is still a lot of work to be done with regard to the season. Everyone is keen on putting that hard yard.”

What kind of conversations have gone on about the spin attack, especially since MI’s first 9 games are on slow tracks? Does the 7.30 PM start make any difference for them?

Zaheer: “If there is a dew factor, we have to wait and see how the tournament shapes up as we play more and more games, whether it is actually becoming a factor in terms of advantage to one team. But we’ll have to wait for that. With regard to the spin coming into play, we knew that whether IPL was played in Abu Dhabi, or in India, at this time of the year, you can have wickets that will assist the spinners. That’s always seen in this tournament every time it is played. Spinners have a bigger role to play and that was the thought process behind bringing in an experienced player like Piyush Chawla, to be around in the squad and help the other spinners as well. Krunal bowled fantastically well in the first game. Rahul Chahar is still looking for that rhythm.”

How much does it help to have a 40-year-old but experienced player on the pitch in a game that is as fast as this?

Zaheer: “As the game is so fast, you need to be on the money with the decision making and that is something which I think the experienced can help you with and achieve. It has been proven also in the past. You’ve seen so many experienced, great players who were able to consistently do well in this tournament purely because they were able to absorb that pressure in the middle well. They were able to make those decisions under pressure. That kind of value certainly experience.”

A word of Ishan Kishan’s rise in MI’s camp. From getting ruthless feedback from the MI management in 2018 to becoming the highest scorer in 2020, what changes did he make?

Zaheer: “Ishan Kishan is looking assured now. He is self-assured, looking calmer. You are actually rightly pointing it out. Every cricketer, when they are growing and try to make an impact at the highest level, there is a tipping point. With Ishan, last year was the tipping point, when he played that knock against RCB, he just flourished from there. He is in the same zone, going about doing his business. Making sure he is continuing with his processes, spending enough time in the nets and trying to better himself.”

Should Jasprit Bumrah have had bowled another over at the beginning instead of keeping three overs for him in the end in the first game?

Zaheer: “Well, you just have to go with the feel of the game. When you’re defending, you’re looking at how to use Jasprit. He’s your trump card. You can’t set a pattern to use a trump card, you have to use it in an aggressive way when you really need it and that was the discussion. That has generally been the process around Jasprit. He’s someone who can turn the game at any stage and we use him accordingly.

It is said that Marco Jansen troubled Virat Kohli in the Indian tour of South Africa in 2018 and that’s where Rohit spotted him. Is that true?

Zaheer: “You’re asking us how we found Marco Jansen. The youngster has been around in the South African cricket circuit and our scouts were keeping an eye on him and his progress, how he’s shaping up. And we felt this is the right time to bring him into the setup. He is tall, he can bat as well, he’s got those good yorkers and bowls at a decent pace. So it is something that makes him someone that has all the good ingredients for this format. So that was how the finding of Marco has happened. Obviously, in consultation with Rohit, when he had also seen him earlier. His coaches were also very impressed by him. In fact, we were actually expecting that he will be going for a bigger price in the auction. We were lucky to get him and more importantly, he’s got his debut also out of the way. So I’m really looking ahead with excitement to see how the youngster goes about this season.”

When do we see Piyush Chawla in action and how is he shaping up?

Zaheer: “It is important to give every player that comfort and show them faith and back an individual. As I said, Piyush Chalwa’s experience is going to be valuable this season and we’ll see how things go as the season progresses.”