Champions League beckons us next - Jayasuriya | Mauler's Notes IPL 2010

The final result will be known by the time this article appears, but something tells me that we will be on the right side of the result. Getting into the semifinals and now the final for the first time has been a big thrill for all of us, particularly the final because we now are also going to be part of the Champions League T20 later this year.

It was one of the first things that struck many of us, and we as a team are confident that we will do as well in the CLT20 as we have in this tournament. Last year it was felt that the IPL teams were not as well-knit as the other teams because those teams played as a unit right through the year. The IPL teams, according to many experts, looked like an assortment of players rather than a team.

I can tell you that this Mumbai Indians team has really gelled well, and we have great team spirit and camaraderie within the unit. Speaking from the cricketing point of view, we know we have a side that has a good variety in its foreign players and a lot of talent within the Indian players. Our bowling is also one of the strongest in the IPL and I
am confident that we have the quality to take on the best teams in the world.

Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings are the other two sides that have made the cut for the CLT20 and I am sure they are also pretty chuffed about representing the IPL in this tournament.

I like the concept of domestic champions playing each other because it is a good way to judge the bench strength of various national teams. It also gives domestic teams all over the world an added incentive to play for when they turn out for their domestic T20 tournament. It’s a concept that will only grow in the future.

Coming back to Mumbai, we now know that the tournament will be held in South Africa, and that’s pretty good news for us because we have a good pace attack in the form of Zaheer Khan and Lasith Malinga. They will be a handful for the opposition on the hard bouncy tracks. It will also be a good exposure for our young Indian batsmen who have been exceptional in this tournament, as it will give them a good exposure on different tracks.

Mumbai Indians will now be going from strength to strength and our strong showing at the IPL this year is only the start of the great future this franchise has. We plan to move ahead as a team and CLT20 is our next target.

 

- SANATH JAYASURIYA