Warne: Great to see Sachin on sidelines

By SHARDA WADHWA

Mumbai, May 6: Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne is "happy to miss" Mumbai Indians’ captain Sachin Tendulkar when they take on the local side at the DY Patil Stadium on Wednesday.

"Any team without Sachin Tendulkar is great. Even though he is my best player in the world and a very good mate, I am extremely glad that he will be not playing," Warne said at the pre-match conference here on Tuesday.

"As a bowler it’s very challenging to bowl him out, one needs to ball variety of deliveries and he gets the best out of the bowler, but when he is in the team looks very dangerous. Us being the top team I don’t want him to play," he said.

The former Australia player said that he never considered his team as underdogs. "I don’t think my team are underdogs, it is you all who have named us. But in a way we are liking that tag, as the boys get motivated to be the best team and they have lived up to that," added Warne.

The 38-year-old spin legend said that Mumbai Indians were a good side with Sanath Jayasuriya besides other youngsters who have done well in the last two matches.

"Mumbai Indians too look upbeat and confident like us. It will be a tough match as both teams will be going for a win. But we would definitely like to keep the momentum going," said Warne about the opposition.

He praised Sohail Tanvir, the Pakistan bowler who got six wickets in the last match and said he had always been a fantastic bowler; it’s just that people had realised it late.