IPL 2021: Looking Forward To A Team To Challenge Mumbai Indians: Brian Lara

West Indian great, Brian Lara stated that he was looking forward to seeing a team challenge the five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians in the 2021 edition this year. Mumbai Indians are also the two-time defending champions and have the highest win percentage in terms of matches too in IPL history. They beat the Delhi Capitals in the final in the UAE in 2020 and had got the better of Chennai Super Kings in a thrilling final in Hyderabad in 2019.

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Talking to Star Sports, the batting legend said that he wanted to see a franchise who would give Mumbai Indians a run for their money this season. He praised the Rohit-Sharma led-side and stated that it is not an easy task to overcome the most successful franchise in IPL history.

“I am looking forward to a team to challenge Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians are of course a great little outfit and a great team. They have had their players for quite some time, so the stability is very good. So, I want to see one of the other teams to truly challenge them in this year’s 2021 IPL.”

Lara described the dramatic collapse of the Kolkata Knight Riders against Mumbai Indians as his favourite match of the season thus far. MI posted a par 152 on a slow and spinner-friendly wicket in Chennai. KKR were off to a flying start with openers Shubman Gill and Nitish Rana providing a platform with a 72-run stand for the first wicket in just under 9 overs. However some brilliant leg spin bowling from Rahul Chahar in the middle overs triggered a sensational collapse as none of the KKR batsmen (barring the openers) were able to register a double-digit score. The team was restricted to 142 for 7 and went down by 10 runs.

“This year there have been quite a few games. The tournament is not that old but to think of – KKR falling apart in their second game – to lose, after being in such a great position, it’s pretty disappointing,” said Lara.

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Lara then named the cricketers he considered the greatest of all-time to play the game. He listed legends like The Don, Sachin Tendulkar, all-rounders like Gary Sobers and Jacques Kallis and the destructive Viv Richards.

“The Greatest Of All Time has to be – different eras. I am someone who finds it very difficult to have an opinion on the Greatest Of All Time when there are so many good ones. I mean, back in the day, of course, Don Bradman. Let me give you a few – Garfield Sobers, a great all-rounder, Sir Vivian Richards, a great batsman. Then, in my time, you had guys like Jacques Kallis, all-around ability, Sachin Tendulkar, a great batsman. So, quite a few. I think I love, really appreciating each player for what they brought to the game,” stated Lara.

Lara added that Roy Fredericks – the left-handed opening batsman who played for the West Indies in the late 1960s and 1970s, was his childhood hero. He also added the names of Richards, Greenidge, Haynes to that list.

“When I was very young, it was Roy Fredricks, a left-handed opening batsman from the West Indies in the 70s and the early 80s. Back in those days as a kid, I was a left-handed batsman. He used to have a long-sleeve white shirt. I also used to have a long-sleeve white shirt, just to be like him. But then, as I grew a little older, Sir Vivian Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, these were all the guys who I tried to pick something and learn out of them.”

Lara said that amongst the current generation, Darren Bravo had a very similar batting stance and style as the great left-hander.

“I would say Darren Bravo. When he is in form, he looks really good. So, yeah, from the same village. He is also family, so I can see why some of his shots resembled some of mine when I was playing.”​

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• brian lara
• don bradman
• ipl
• IPL 2021
• Jacques Kallis
• KKR
• kolkata knight riders
• MI
• Mumbai Indians
• Roy Fredericks
• sachin tendulkar
• viv richards