'I had the time to plan how I wanted to coach the Mumbai Indians'

Mumbai Indians head coach and former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has said his team has had a good preparation for IPL. 

"We have a great challenge ahead. We are heading to play Kolkata, the reigning champions, for the first game of the IPL on their home ground. So far this week's been great. Our preparation has been great. I really love the attitude of our players," said Ponting, who played in one IPL season without much success and then stepped down from the Mumbai captaincy. 

"We have two training days in Kolkata to make sure that they are up to speed with the conditions and the way we want to play our cricket as a team. In IPL, when you are getting most of your players into the squad reasonably late, that is a great challenge for the coaches to make sure they are physically rested and mentally prepared for the contest at the same time. 

"You have to make sure their skills are ready to go as well. We have had a really big training week where we have particularly worked hard and when we get to Kolkata, we know we have got two more sessions over there to prepare for the first game. The attitude that the boys have shown over the last few days, I have no doubt they will be prepared for the start of the first match," he added.

'We have a very good squad'

Ponting said that his new innings in cricket as a coach has been exciting. 

"The last week's been terrific. Obviously I have known that I will be the coach of Mumbai Indians for a few months now. I had the time to plan and think about how I wanted to coach the team. I took over when the squad was pretty much established; 15-16 players were retained from last season.

"It was a lot of fun to be involved in the players' auction. There also we have a very good squad. We have picked a lot of young Indian talents into our group," he said.

Ponting, who in his playing days led a team known for its sledging, today said on-field verbal duels was part and parcel of the game but it should be within limits.

"I believe it is part of the game but players probably do have to understand where the line is and make sure they are not overstepping the line. That's all we can say to our players, that's all we are worried about," said Mumbai Indians chief coach.