Mumbai Indians will be very dangerous in the UAE leg of IPL – Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir feels Mumbai Indians (MI) will be very dangerous in the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the UAE. According to him, the conditions in the UAE will suit the bowlers of the defending champions.

Rohit Sharma-led team will play their first game against Chennai Super Kings at the Dubai International Stadium on September 19.

“They’ve played in conditions that are completely different to where they normally play in. When you see the conditions in Chepauk or Delhi, they are completely different from what you get at Wankhede. And, as I mentioned, they are going into conditions that are suited to their fast bowling – people like Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult.

“There will be swing upfront, so they will be very dangerous. Plus, Mumbai wants balls to swing and you’ve got quality fast bowlers and it’s going to be an advantage for them. Plus their batters, want the balls to come on to the bat as well, people like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, all those guys struggled at Chepauk, because it was gripping and turning.

“They are not going to struggle, once they start playing in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. So, that’s the reason why I would feel Mumbai Indians will have an advantage; they can’t afford slow starter anymore, because they have seven games to go and they might have to win 5 matches to qualify, so they can’t afford to be in that situation, where they have to win five out of five,” Gambhir said on Star Sports’ show Game Plan.