Sachin Tendulkar will miss India's third and final Test against South Africa because of a groin injury, but the Indian Premier League's Mumbai Indians' team is optimistic about its captain regaining fitness to play the Twenty20 tournament, beginning April 18.
"Sachin is a player who does not like to miss any games. I am sure the physio will take care of him and he will be all right in time for the IPL," Mumbai Indians' coach Lalchand Rajput said today.
Tendulkar missed the second Test between India and South Africa in Ahmedabad due to a groin injury.
Rajput refused to confirm whether Tendulkar, with Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya will open the innings for the team.
"There are four to five options that we have. We will look at the opposition team and wicket before deciding the openers for a match," he said.
The Mukesh Ambani-owned Mumbai Indians will start a preparatory camp on April 11, a week ahead of the cash-rich league, which has eight teams participating.
The team management also announced the appointment of television commentator Harsha Bhogle the team's advisor. He will help out with strategy.
While acknowledging that he has no experience in team management, Bhogle said he is looking forward to his job.
R Balachandran, the team's CEO, said the squad will also be starting its promotional campaigns in the coming days to connect with potential fans.
"The fans will have a chance to interact with the team through the website and other means," he said.
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