Johannesburg: All eyes will be on Sachin Tendulkar and skipper Harbhajan Singh as defending champions Mumbai Indians take on local team Lions in their opening Champions League Twenty20 here on Sunday.
Tendulkar, whose last competitive game was a Test match between India and New Zealand in Bangalore earlier last month, will be keen on doing well as his performance will certainly have a bearing on Mumbai Indians’ fortune in the tournament.
Harbhajan will like to use this opportunity to get requisite confidence and make a case for himself before the Test team selection.
Harbhajan, who ripped through England in the World T20 would like to show that the performance wasn’t a flash in the pan.
The tournament will also be a test for Rohit Sharma who has failed to deliver for India despite having the backing of his national team skipper MS Dhoni.
Dhoni will come into the tournament as a man under scrutiny after being an uninspiring leader during India’s doomed World T20 campaign.
Featuring players who shone at the World T20, Sydney Sixers might prove to be quite a handful for the Chennai when the two teams clash in their opening Group B encounter, also on Sunday.
The Sixers have Shane Watson and Pat Cummins, while CSK can boast of fellow Aussies Michael Hussey along with danger man Albie Morkel. (PTI)