IPL over kids' exams for Neeta Ambani

Port Elizabeth:

The school examinations of her kids are on but Mumbai Indians owner Neeta Ambani, whose arrival coincided with the team's return to winning ways in the IPL, is planning to stay put in South Africa for some time after being requested to by Sachin Tendulkar and Co.

"I have just come in and left my children back home for their school examinations. I was planning to go home tonight but I think I will talk to my children and my team who are requesting me to stay back," Ambani told the Indian Premier League's official website.

Mumbai Indians defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 16 runs yesterday after enduring three back-to-back losses. The win coincided with Ambani's arrival but she laughed off suggestions that she was the lucky mascot for Tendulkar's men.

"I don't think I'm a lucky mascot for the team. All I believe is that one should always have the positive spirit going and then the victory will be theirs," she said.

Ambani singled out J P Duminy, who scored a fifty yesterday, for praise, saying the South African has repaid her faith in him well.

"I am glad with his performance. I remember at the time when I went to Goa during the auction everyone was saying that go after X player and Y player, but I wanted Duminy in my side. And I am happy that he will be with us for the full season," she said.

Ambani sat in the team dugout during the match and said it was a memorable experience as she got to learn the nuances of the game from the players.

"I enjoyed sitting in the dugout. They (the players) kept on educating me about the game and kept telling me how the next ball will behave. They were informing me about their plans while the match was going on. So it was quite enjoyable," she recalled.

Ambani also praised youngsters like Ajinkya Rahane for performing well in the tournament.

"I am delighted to see these youngsters performing well for the team. I see a great future for them in the coming days. Rahane, (Chetanya) Nanda, (Dhawal) Kulkarni and (Saurabh) Tiwary are the future," she said.