"Not here to get to 3rd or 4th place, I want to win" - MI coach Mark Boucher makes his intentions clear ahead of IPL 2023

Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mark Boucher is set to begin his new tenure in the IPL 2023 season, taking the baton from former coach and Sri Lankan legend Mahela Jayawardene. Boucher straightaway has made a statement of intent by saying that he is here to mean business and will not settle for just a finish in the playoffs.

Boucher was a part of the coaching setup in the South African cricket team, where he had the experience of dealing with star players. He was lauded by quite a few fans for the way he handled the transition in that team.

In the pre-season press conference, here's what Mark Boucher had to say about his goals as the MI coach in the IPL 2023 season:

"I want to win the trophy. I am not here to get to 3rd or 4th place, I want to win. That’s what this opportunity is all about. I have been given all the support behind me and from that perspective, it has been great."

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Mark Boucher on the opportunity of working with MI skipper Rohit Sharma

Mark Boucher recalled the time he first saw a young Rohit Sharma bat and admitted that he knew that the latter was a special player in the making. The former Proteas star also opened up on how he wants to help get the best out of Rohit in the IPL 2023 season.

On this, Boucher stated:

"First time I played against Rohit, I was a wicketkeeper and I said, ‘This kid has got so much time to play.’ It's all about learning from each other and I will take all the pressure off him in any way possible, giving him the space to go out there and express his skills.

"I am just looking forward to him having a good season hopefully and looking forward to the challenge."

It will be interesting to see if Mark Boucher brings instant success to MI the way Mahela Jayawardene did.