"Now you’re a proper MI player"- Shams Mulani on how Rohit Sharma welcomed him to Mumbai Indians family

Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Rohit Sharma recently welcomed his domestic teammate and left-arm spinner Shams Mulani to the franchise. The five-time Indian Premier League champions snapped up Mulani in the IPL 2023 auction on December 23.

Mulani was a support bowler with MI during the IPL 2020 season and has already experienced their team culture and environment. The young all-rounder has also had some valuable conversations with the Indian captain and is ecstatic to be an official member of the squad for the first time.

Speaking in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Shams Mulani opened up on the conversation he had with Rohit Sharma after he was picked by MI in the IPL 2023 auction. He said:

"I just met Rohit Sharma in the evening and he was practicing (at BKC). I met him and he said, 'Welcome officially to the Mumbai Indians family. Now you’re a proper MI player.' He congratulated me on that and welcomed me to the team."

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Shams Mulani on filling the shoes of Krunal Pandya

Being a left-arm spinner who can bat, it is natural that fans have started to draw parallels between Shams Mulani and former MI all-rounder Krunal Pandya.

A three-time IPL champion with the Mumbai Indians, Krunal was often the unsung hero of the Mumbai middle-order and rescued his team from some tough situations. He moved to the Lucknow Super Giants ahead of the 2022 IPL season.

Here's what Mulani had to say on being compared to Krunal:

"I think what Krunal Bhai has done for Mumbai Indians and India, I can’t say that I am a like-for-like replacement. I will try to fill his big shoes, but the work ethic and the effort that he has put in for MI’s success has been a lot.

"It is an honour for me to be spoken on the same lines as him, but I will try to be myself and do what I do best to help the team as much as I can."

There's another left-arm spinner in the Mumbai Indians ranks in the form of Kumar Kartikeya. Coincidentally, Mulani and Kartikeya, the two highest wicket-takers in the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy, are part of the MI family and could form a threatening spin partnership. On this, Mulani added:

"Working with KK (Kumar Kartikeya), we have been together in the UK as well, in that Reliance team camp, we have played together and it will be interesting because he can bowl orthodox left-arm spin as well as the Chinaman.

"I am looking forward to working with him and all other players and learn as much as I can."

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Shams Mulani on the 'Impact Player' rule

Shams Mulani was a part of the Mumbai team that won their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this year. He is one of the few players in the IPL who already has experience playing with the 'Impact Player' rule.

Here's what he had to say on how it might impact the games in the upcoming season:

"The ‘Impact Player’ rule, from whatever I have played and experienced, is such that if you use it properly, it gives the team a very big advantage. But it shouldn’t be used in a hurry so it is very crucial to take a call by reading the conditions and the situation.

"The IPL as all about innovation and they have also brought in the Impact Player rule. We won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the rule certainly played a role in that as it helped us win crucial games. So the key is how smartly and properly you can use that rule."

Shams Mulani also spoke about his goals with MI and whether they have the squad to win their sixth IPL title. He said:

"Looking at our squad, if all the players are available, it is certainly a team that can win the tournament and make it six titles.

"As an individual, I want to play my part and help the team as much as I can. I dont want to think much about the selection process as it is not in my hands."

He concluded:

"My job is to perform, whether it is for Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy team, or Mumbai Indians. Working hard is my job and I want to be ready whenever I get that call-up. This is another opportunity for me to showcase my talent in front of the whole world."

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IPL 2023 Auction: MI's final team

Here is the Mumbai Indians' final squad for IPL 2023:

[Note: Players in bold were drafted at the IPL 2023 auction]

Rohit Sharma (c), Tim David, Ramandeep Singh, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Jofra Archer, Jasprit Bumrah, Arjun Tendulkar, Arshad Khan, Kumar Kartikeya, Hrithik Shokeen, Jason Behrendorff, Akash Madhwal, Cameron Green, Jhye Richardson, Piyush Chawla, Duan Jansen, Vishnu Vinod, Shams Mulani, Nehal Wadhera, Raghav Goyal.