It's the final week before the Champions League gets going and it's about time I got back into competition mode. Ideally I would have liked to get going much before, but the eye injury kept me down.
Not that that really matters. It may be an individual's day to make or break records but basically cricket is a team concept and everyone has to go out and perform well for the team to win. The big difference, though, in Champions League will be the fact that it will be a bigger stage for the little-known faces to shine and perform — the IPL already has a lot of international stars, players who have been in the spotlight for some time now, while the World T20 is all about national sides and as such, it is the nations that matter.
Personally, the last one-and-a-half years haven't really been brilliant for me in terms of personal satisfaction with my performances, which means I will try to put in that much extra hard work and come out on top in the Champions League.
That said, I don't really think I have to prove myself. Last time around, I was an unknown face but was picked by the Mumbai Indians, so obviously I must have done something, played some level of cricket to reach where I have. There is no pressure to perform except to do your best and stop thinking about the rest.
It's all about fitting in with the team structure and knowing the guys you play with. At the same time, I have learnt a lot in my time with the Mumbai Indians and the galaxy of international players we have in our team, and there is no better way to get better in cricket than sharing the dressing room and experiences with some of the best players in the world.
Mumbai Indians has the firepower to win this one but we can't be complacent, relying simply on the big names we have. Our first match will be against Highveld Lions, which finished runner-up in the South African domestic competition. It may not have too many stars but that's exactly the kind of team you have to be wary of — as I said, the team concept becomes much stronger in such cases and reputations cease to matter. Plus, it will have the home advantage, and that can never be discounted in club competitions.
Finally, I am often asked about the T20-engraved hairstyle in the previous edition. Obviously, it feels great that people remember so much about you, including your hairstyle! Last time, it was my first brush with international success and that was my way of acknowledging the version that helped me achieve it. This time, who knows? There may be something, after all.
