The upcoming Champions League Twenty20 is all set to be Sachin Tendulkar’s last appearance for Mumbai Indians, but chief mentor Anil Kumble feels the emotions related to the veteran’s swansong should be kept in check to ensure that the side’s performance is not affected.
“Emotions can’t be brought into a game. It won’t help players’ performance. Emotions would obviously be there, but they have to be kept in check. Every player understands that,” Kumble told the team’s official website.
“He (Tendulkar) has been synonymous with Mumbai Indians right from the start of the IPL. I have played a lot of cricket with him.
“It would be ideal for the boys to give him a fitting send-off. He has been a great contributor for Mumbai Indians all those years.
“Although he couldn’t play in the last four-five games in the IPL 2013, his contribution to the overall cause of the team has always been very important,” he said.
Kumble lauded Rohit Sharma’s captaincy after he led the side to its maiden IPL trophy this year.
“I think Rohit was the highlight of the IPL. He is a quiet, yet confident player. He is not the kind of guy who says a lot of things. He was given the responsibility of leading the side, and he took that extremely well.
“He is a committed player, and he understands the T20 game. He opened for India in the Champions Trophy, and did well. He was always an exceptionally talented player. With experience and maturity, he understands his game better now.”
Kumble also justified leaving out Ricky Ponting from the CL T20 squad.
“For a player of Ricky’s stature, it’s tough on him. But with the Champions League rules, we can only travel with a squad of 15, and only four foreigners can play a game,” he explained.
“With the kind of balance we had struck in the second half of the IPL when Ricky sat out, it was tough to find a place for him in the squad. So we informed him about his exclusion, he obviously was disappointed, I am sure. But, that’s the nature of the game,” he said.
