After a disappointing loss in the opening game against Rising Pune Supergiants, Rohit Sharma met the journalists on the penultimate evening before the match against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Going by history, Eden Gardens has been one of the favourite hunting grounds for the Mumbai Indians skipper, Rohit Sharma, but the pressure of being the defending champion puts him in a delicate situation. When asked about the team’s morale and confidence, Rohit answered, “It’s a professional sport, where there is no need to motivate individuals. The performance in the first game isn’t what we would want. We have to look ahead. We will rectify our mistakes and hope to play as a better team in the upcoming games.”

Pace spearhead, Lasith Malinga’s absence from the side is a cause for concern but Rohit chose to concentrate on the emerging talent of Jasprit Bumrah. “It is a fantastic opportunity for Bumrah but Malinga won’t be available for the next few weeks. His fitness is a concern but we are keeping a track of him. He has evolved terrifically in the last few months. He has matured and knows what is expected of him. A lot of expectations but we don’t want to pressurize him as he’s still young in international cricket.”

Rohit did accept that the team batting performance was not the best in the last game and that they have worked on the mistakes which they made in the previous game, against Pune, and are keen to rectify them in the upcoming match on Wednesday. He did seem concerned about the spin arsenal which KKR possess, but was also confident about his team playing the spinners well, as they have done on numerous occasions. “We have depth in our batting and we can counter the challenge which will be thrown at us tomorrow.”

Rohit also spoke about various match winners in the team and their role as well. “Kieron Pollard was suffering from a knee injury, which kept him away from the game [International Cricket]. It is difficult to start performing once you are back from an injury. Pollard has been a match-winner for us in the past and we are confident of him coming good for the team.” When asked about Pollard not bowling in the last game, Rohit said, “We wanted to go ahead with the conventional options. He is fit to bowl but we had to bowl with a plan.”

Wednesday’s match is going to be another heavy-weight clash with Gautam Gambhir and his men coming into this match with a win under their belts. When Sharma was asked about KKR as a team, this is what he had to say, “KKR is a good team and they are dangerous especially when they play on their home ground. They know the conditions better. This is a challenge for us and we are working hard towards winning the game.”