Abu Dhabi, Oct 16 (IANS): The variety that Mumbai Indians' (MI) bowling attack possess is something that the team had worked towards at the start of the season and is keeping them going this season, according to the team's Director of Cricket Zaheer Khan.

"The variety in style keeps us going," said Zaheer during their match against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium here. "Our bowlers can explore different conditions very well which is something we made a conscious effort towards going into the season. Different kind of bowlers add to what we have been trying to achieve together."

MI's bowling prowess was on full display on Friday as they dismantled the KKR top half within the first 11 overs for just 61 runs. Fast bowlers Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, and Nathan Coulter-Nile all took a wicket each while spinner Rahul Chahar took two off consecutive balls.

The three bio-secure venues in the UAE have seen the pitches slowing down and the average scores gradually decreasing. Zaheer said that while the team plan on the basis of the conditions that bowlers may face, they are allowed to express themselves out on the pitch.

"Undestanding the conditions is very important for a bowling unit -- to understand what exactly works on a particular day. We spend a lot of time in understanding and planning. (At the same time) we give the bowlers freedom to go out there and express themselves," he said.

"We've been telling the boys to stay in the zone. They've been putting in a lot of preparations. The cricketing rhythm has been good for us as a team collectively. We don't have to change anything."