IPL 2021: "Mumbai doesn't suit us, so it's about finding a way" - CSK bowling consultant Eric Simons

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bowling consultant Eric Simons seems pleased with how the team has fared so far in the tournament. MS Dhoni's men have won three of the four games they have played this season. CSK will now take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) today.

Speaking about the team's mantra, Eric Simons said it was all about finding a way and believes MS Dhoni and his men have done well thus far.

"One of the mantras we have is that we just find a way. I think that's important. Mumbai doesn't suit us, so it's about finding a way and that's what we've done well," said the CSK consultant.

CSK are enjoying a terrific start to IPL 2021, winning three games in a row, and Eric Simons believes the mood in the camp is positive.

"Any wins are important and to get three in a row, like we have, is great for our morale, great for the confidence of the team. The guys have put together some good performances, strung it together - batting and bowling, which is important," he said.

CSK consultant Eric Simons on the South Indian derby

While speaking about the previous match against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), the former Indian bowling coach said that every game in the IPL.

"Obviously, the last one was quite an exciting one. But to get to 220 and then defend it was really good. So, the team's in a good place. I think we recognize that we had a scrap really hard in the game against KKR but it is an important part of the IPL. There are no easy matches," said the CSK coach.

Eric Simons shared his excitement at playing against RCB, a team that has done exceptionally well this season. In this regard, he said:

"I think that is the important part of the champion teams in the IPL is that you want to beat the best. You want to be up against them and we were just talking now about some ideas and thoughts against some of the best batsmen in the world in this format."

"So, we were saying how exciting it is to bowl against, say an AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli, Maxwell, Padikkal, whoever it might be. It is always exciting against the teams that are playing well. That's the teams you want to beat because this is an opportunity to really to a stamp on the tournament for ourselves. It's a tough team we're up against but we're excited about it," Eric Simons added.

Locked and Loaded for the Derby day! 💪#CSKvRCB #WhistlePodu #Yellove 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/LsoMAPaWFh

— Chennai Super Kings - Mask P😷du Whistle P🥳du! (@ChennaiIPL) April 25, 2021

Eric Simons on CSK's challenge at Wankhede

The game against RCB will be CSK's 5th match at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium this season, where conditions aren't suitable for the Chennai-based team's squad. But Eric Simons seems happy with the way the side has adapted.

"At this stage, four matches...three wins is a really good performance. So it's about finding a way and that's what we've done well. You know we've selected according to that, we've selected according to what we needed and the bowling plans according to our strengths...focus on what we could do, " he said.

"It's very rewarding for us as a coaching unit to see the guys take the ideas, take the plans and implement them. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't. But so far, the results have been good. But at the end of the day, what we've done is we've come to conditions that don't really suit us and we've found a way," Eric Simons concluded.

CSK and RCB have played each other in 26 T20 games so far, with the former winning 17 matches.