Mumbai Indians mentor Anil Kumble insisted his side are keen to maintain their numero uno position in the points table of IPL 2013, when they play their final league game of the season against the Kings XI Punjab at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.
MI currently lead the points table on a better nett run rate from Chennai super Kings, both of whom have 22 points from 15 games.
A victory over Kings XI will mean a brilliant 12 victories in 16 matches for Mumbai and more importantly keeping up the winning momentum going into the playoffs.
"We would like to keep our leadership position," Kumble, who has quietly made his mark behind the scenes, said. "At the moment we are on top of the table and that is where we would like to finish at the end of the league stage, so it is extremely important to finish at No. 1 if not 2. That is something about which we are very aware and we would like to keep that going as well on Saturday."
The game in some sense is a dead rubber, with Kings XI losing their chances of sneaking into the playoffs following the Sunrisers Hyderabad's win on Friday. The best the Kings XI can do now is post their eighth win in 16 games, which will be one short of the Sunrisers' current tally of nine.
The Rajasthan Royals, along with CSK and MI, have already qualified for the playoffs, with the final spot set to be fought between RCB and Sunrisers.
Kumble admitted MI would make a couple of changes to their side to give some of the players who have not had too many opportunities a go.
"We are looking at that (giving players who have not played many games a chance), but we don't want to unnecessarily tamper with the combination but at the same time we will certainly give a few of them a chance to look at as we need to look at the conditions in Delhi (playoffs) as well," Kumble added.
MI and India icon Sachin Tendulkar is likely to be rested again, with the Little Master still recovering from the hand injury suffered against the Sunrisers a few days back.
"Sachin is recovering," Kumble said. "We are hoping that he will be okay for tomorrow (Saturday). But it is tough, it has been only three days now. Although it has been only three days, we have already played only one game, and the second game is coming up.
"So matches keep coming very quickly and it is important that he gets hundred percent (fit) so maybe not Saturday, we might not look at Sachin later."
The game will also most probably be the final one of any kind for Adam Gilchrist, who has slowly but surely found form as the tournament has wore on. Kings XI will want to give a grand send off to their skipper, but Mumbai Indians are sure to make it difficult.
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