Mumbai Indians will have to hit the ground running in IPL second leg and cannot afford to play catch up: Kevin Pietersen

England cricketing legend Kevin Pietersen has opined that five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians cannot afford to start slowly in the second leg of the IPL that will commence in the UAE on 19th September 2021.

Pietersen further reasoned that since the first half of the tournament is already done, the Mumbai side will not have much time to play catch up. Pietersen also stated that the ‘Men in Blue’ have a lot of talented players in their arsenal, and are capable of finding form in the second half of the IPL.

“Everybody will expect the holders of the competition, Mumbai Indians, to go well, but they don’t have a good history of hitting the ground running. They tend to lose their first few games and then come good towards the end of the tournament.

We are already towards the end of the tournament now. Mumbai can’t afford to lose three or four games before they start playing because there’s so little time to play catch-up. “If they are to retain their crown, they must be on it from ball one. Clearly, with the talent they have in their side, they are capable of doing it,” wrote Pietersen on Betway.com.

CSK have a fantastic chance of winning the IPL title: Kevin Pietersen

Kevin Pietersen also said that the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) side has a fantastic opportunity to win the IPL title this year. Adding that seeing CSK do well in the first half of IPL 2021 was a surprise, Pietersen reckoned that CSK’s overseas players have done the job for the franchise. Pietersen concluded by stating that CSK could script history in the UAE, and have a fantastic chance of winning the 2021 IPL trophy.

“Everybody wrote off the old boys’ army of CSK before the IPL started in April, so seeing them go so well was a bit of a surprise. Their overseas players Faf Du Plessis, Moeen Ali, and Sam Curran, in particular, delivered the goods. But I’m not sure how well this four-month absence will have suited them.

It could take them a little while to crank back into gear, particularly the older players.  If they are ready, it could be a historic few weeks for the franchise. They have a fantastic shot at winning a title that everybody thought was beyond them,” concluded Pietersen.