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Mitchell McClenaghan: I'm definitely missing India this year

By Mumbai Indians

Kiwi speedster Mitchell McClenaghan took part in an interactive Question and Answer session with the fans on MI’s Twitter account on Monday.

Having good experience of playing in UAE, Mitch spoke about passing on information to the other members of the team with regards to the conditions and how the pitches behave. He kept the fans entertained too while answering questions on his batting or teaching them some New Zealand slang.

He further reminisced his best spell for MI, cherished bowling with the likes of Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah and how he would miss playing in India this season.

Here we take you through all the questions he answered:

What’s the plan in UAE?

Mitch: Main plan on focusing on bowling over here in the UAE is just making sure that the guys who have played here like myself and Polly can pass on as much information as we possibly can. All three wickets are different. They play differently and you know we need to pass those kinds of messages on to the other guys.

Would you like to bat up the order?

Mitch: Cheers bud. Glad you think I can bat. Go leave a @Mahela and just spam him saying that you want to see me in the top four again. Although last time it didn't work out well for him, I think I was a part of a hat-trick against RCB. So I think that ship has sailed.

Your favorite bowling partner?

Mitch: Probably, favorite bowling partners, Malinga or Bumrah obviously and then you know you've got people like Hardik and Krunal who are doing an exceptional job, so I enjoy bowling with the team I suppose a lot more than just a favourite bowling partner and we have got a very good unit.

Something about that celebration style?

Mitch: Celebration style, wouldn't say that I've much style when it comes to celebrating. I'll tell you what I get pretty fizzed up particularly and obviously while we're playing at Wankhede. The crowd kinda takes you to a different level. and then you get a few crazy celebrations.

How much Marathi do you know?

Mitch: I don't know much Marathi, but you know I can teach you a bit of Kiwi slang. If we say ‘sweet as’ which means ‘choice’, which means good. So, there you go, if you think something's good, it's ‘sweet as’ or it’s ‘choice’.

What’s your best spell for MI?

Mitch: I think my best spell or my most memorable was against Hyderabad where we had to win to get into the finals and we knew how important David Warner's wicket was and it's kind of being able to take that and then bowl well for the rest of the innings to get us through the playoffs. That's probably my best spell and most memorable.

Yorker or a Bouncer?

Mitch: Yorkers or bouncers. Well if I could bowl yorkers like Bumrah or Malinga, it would probably be yorkers. But seeing that's not my strength, I'll like to go with the bouncers. Nothing better than whizzing one past someone's nose or hitting them on the head and the ball popping up to the keeper.

What do you think about the new MI jersey?

Mitch: The new jersey's absolute fire! It looks mint. You know you can never get too much blue and gold and I think it's a nice little subtle change from last year's stuff, but still, it looks awesome.

If given a chance, would you open the innings with Rohit Sharma?

Mitch: Another batting question here, good! No, I don't think I would open the batting with Rohit. I think there's probably twenty people in our squad who are far better than me at batting, so wouldn't waste myself at the top, that's for sure. Plus, the ball swings, and I don't really like that.

Missing India this season?

Mitch: Yes, I'm definitely missing India this year. Every year that I land in Mumbai and the drive from the airport to the hotel is very special. It makes me feel like I'm back in my second home. So, it's a little bit different this year, driving from Dubai up to Abu Dhabi, and not ending up at the Trident, so it's a little bit strange, but I guess it is what it is, and hopefully, we'll be back in India next year.