Can Ganguly inspire new dawn for Warriors?
ESPNcricinfo previews the 3rd match of IPL 2012 between Mumbai Indians and Pune Warriors India in Mumbai
Match facts
April 6, 2012, MumbaiStart time 1600 (1030 GMT)
Big picture
When the nine captains of the IPL's fifth edition were ushered in during the opening ceremony in Chennai, Sourav Ganguly, Pune Warriors India captain, walked out wearing the franchise's new turquoise blue jersey, a change from last year's black. The team would want to erase memories of a forgettable debut season. A change of colour could bring a change of luck, as it happened to Deccan Chargers during the second season. Till recently, Warriors' participation in the IPL wasn't even certain. Their owners, the Sahara Group, pulled out on the day of the auction, and their players were in limbo, uncertain of their own future. A compromise was worked out and normal service resumed.Players to watch
As Warriors ponder their overseas combination, they will find it hard to overlook Tamim Iqbal. The stylish Bangladesh opening batsman had a dream Asia Cup. He was controversially omitted at the start of the tournament but snubbed his detractors with four fifties, including 60 in the final. The pleasure of his off-side strokes, the poise and follow-through would make his captain proud.2011 head-to-head
Mumbai Indians were the winners in both matches last year. The first meeting was a low-scoring one, at Wankhede Stadium. A combined bowling effort restricted Warriors to 118. Mumbai Indians won by seven wickets, but used up all their 20 overs. In the return match at the Warriors "home" ground in Navi Mumbai, Mumbai Indians set a target of 161, but Warriors fell short by 21 runs despite a fifty by Manish Pandey.Stats and trivia
Quotes
"He is a terrific player. His strength is that he can hit the ball hard and score quickly and that is why we picked him."Mumbai Indians captain Harbhajan Singh on Richard Levi
Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo