Parthiv Patel confident Mumbai Indians will have successful IPL despite no home advantage

Former wicket-keeper batsman Parthiv Patel has said that the five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians will leave no stone unturned in performing well despite not having home games and that it won't matter to them where they are playing.

Last week, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had made it official that the IPL 2021 will be contested across six venues and each team will have to play at neutral venues. MI have their league fixtures scheduled in Chennai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Kolkata respectively.

'It will not matter as much': Parthiv Patel

“I have done a lot of scouting for MI. I know what kind of work we have put in, what kind of process the Mumbai Indians have put in. It will not matter as much where Mumbai Indians are playing,” said Patel while speaking on Star Sports.

“If there was any one thing which anyone would have talked about last year’s Mumbai Indians squad is the need of another experienced spinner, ideally a wrist-spinner, we have got that", he added.

"This year we went in with the thought that it is just a one-year tournament with the big auction coming up, we needed the most experienced wrist-spinner in the side and we got it. So, I think we have covered all the bases as far as the Mumbai Indians is concerned,” the veteran stumper further added.

Mumbai Indians in IPL 2021

The title-holders will kickstart their IPL 2021 campaign when they lock horns with the three-time finalists Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai on April 9. The Mumbai-based franchise will be hoping to continue their outstanding run in the marquee tournament in a quest to retain the title and win it for a record sixth time and if they succeed in doing so, then they will be the first and only team to have registered a hat-trick of title wins in the history of the Indian Premier League.

After MI had successfully retained their title last season in the UAE, the Rohit-Sharma-led side became the second time after three-time winners Chennai Super Kings (2010-2011) to register back-to-back title triumphs in the cash-rich tournament.