IPL 2023: Rohit rues THIS star man’s absence, says ‘big shoes to fill’ ahead of season kickoff against RCB

Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma is all set for the latest season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as the predations are in the final stage. While Mumbai will look to put behind a disappointing 2022 season, their main aim will be to conquer the glorious title for the sixth time. However, ahead of the start he was disappointed to miss out on the services of star man Jasprit Bumrah and says those are big shoes to fill in.

“It will be a big miss,” the India skipper said.

“It is sad, but we do understand how big his (Jasprit) shoes are to fill.”

While MI are yet to find a suitable replacement for Jasprit, the franchise is looking to close in on a replacement as the IPL season is set for a kickoff in less than 48 hours. Mumbai will have the luxury of getting an experienced player but replacing Bumrah will be a big headache.

“Yes, we have been discussing a few options and hopefully we can close it in the next couple of days and let you know about it,” Rohit said on Wednesday.

“There is an opportunity that is up for grabs, to fill that place. A lot of young players will get an opportunity and this is a platform for them to come out and express themselves. There are a couple of guys who have been with this team for the last two years and they are very much ready to step up,” Rohit added.

MI’s head coach Mark Boucher also highlighted Bumrah’s absence but insisted there is an opportunity up for grabs. According to him, some young players that can come in and make an impact with their bench strength also a feasible option. There are talks of Arjun Tendulkar’s potential debut for the franchise after he was bought for Rs 30 lakh in the 2022 auctions.

“We will see tonight (in a practice match). He’s playing tonight. One of the things about international players is that they need the freedom to move around a bit. All of them have been playing cricket. Jofra obviously is coming off a major injury, he has been playing quite a bit of cricket lately, which is good. He’s in a good space. He’s ready to get up there and perform, which, for us, is a good place to be in. We will see tonight how he goes,” Boucher said while addressing Bumrah’s potential replacement headache.

Mumbai will bid to win their sixth IPL title in the upcoming season and will start their campaign against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The contest will take place at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday, April 2 when the entire nation also celebrates the 12th anniversary of India’s 2011 World Cup campaign.

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