Indian Premier League 2024

'Har saal 12 players (umpire) se khel rahe ho' - Fans react as Rohit Sharma says Mumbai will field top 12 players against Bangalore in their first ITL 2023 match

Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma has said that they will field 12 best players against Bangalore in their first Indian T20 League 2023 match.

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Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma (Image credit: Twitter)

Rohit Sharma Rohit Sharma (Image credit: Twitter)

With their first 2023 Indian T20 League match less than a week away, Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma has opened up about what their approach will be from the start of the tournament. At the franchise's pre-season press conference on Wednesday, Rohit said they will field their best players in their first match against high-profile Bangalore.

The 16th edition of ITL is set to kick off on March 31 when four-time champions Chennai take on defending champions Gujarat at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Ahead of their campaign, Mumbai hosted a live session on their Instagram page which was attended by captain Rohit and coach Mark Boucher.

Commenting on the new 'Impact Player' rule, the five-time ITL-winning captain also focused on their opening match and said: "Our first match is against Bangalore, we know how they play. So we’ll field our best 12 players (XI plus impact player) against them."

Mumbai and Bangalore are the two blockbuster teams in India's men's franchise T20 league. The clash between the two teams was always a crowd puller as both teams have star players who can deliver spectacular performances on the field. Faf du Plessis' side will be looking to clinch a maiden title in the cash-rich league, while Rohit and Co will aim for their sixth tile.

Rohit Sharma welcomes the new rules

The upcoming edition of the Indian T20 League will see a few new rules including the 'Impact Player'. The teams are now allowed to announce their playing 11 after the toss instead of before it. The captains will give two different team sheets of their playing 11 along with five substitute players to the match referee.

While many welcomed the changes in the rules, many criticized it, including Delhi head coach Ricky Ponting, who said it would reduce the role of all-rounders in the team. Meanwhile, the Indian captain expressed his opinion on the same and called it "interesting".

“It’s interesting to see a new sort of an innovation coming into the game. Only time will tell how the team copes with the new rule. I like the idea of a player coming in and changing a game after the toss,” Rohit said in the press conference.

“We will be playing the last game and so, we will be able to see what other teams do and how much beneficial it is. We are hoping to get some ideas from the game that happens before us,” he added.

Here's how fans reacted to Rohit Sharma's statement ahead of their opening match against Bangalore:

Indian Premier League Rohit Sharma Mumbai