Match Week 3 of Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2017-18 kicks off with the ‘Maharashtra Derby’ between FC Pune City and Mumbai City FC at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium in Pune on Wednesday. Ahead of the first derby of the new season, indiansuperleague.com caught up with Pune’s talented winger Kean Lewis. In the exclusive interview, he shared his views on the stalwarts of the league and the next encounter against the Islanders. Excerpts…

You have played in the USA and the Hero I-League. What change has the Hero ISL brought to your gameplay?

I think the ISL has a lot of experienced foreigners and veteran players that have played at top levels abroad. So I’d say that would be the major difference. The I-League has some foreign players, but they are not as experienced. Speaking of the US, yes, I have played against and played with some, but that was when I was very young, and all the other players that I played with were young as well. They were not big names or playing with big teams. Athletically and physically, yes, it is the same as the ISL, but the experience and the quality that they (the foreigners) bring to this league is completely different.

Do you believe your current squad has enough firepower to win the Hero ISL for the first time?

Undoubtedly! You must have watched the last game [against ATK]. I think in the first game we were a bit shaky and struggling to get the rhythm, but in the last game we were much better. Going forward, we have a very good attack, and we are focusing a lot on quick play, so hopefully, it should pay off.

Are there any special preparations for the Maharashtra Derby against Mumbai City FC?

They are just another team in the league and I think all the teams in the league are very competitive and tough, and that will be the same with the game [against Mumbai]. Coming in from Kolkata with very little time going into the derby, we have just been trying to get enough time to change the tactics a little bit and focus on the next game.

What kind of a match are you expecting against Mumbai? Will it be cagey because it is a derby?

For us, the three points are important. Irrespective of whether it is a derby or if we are playing away, we want the three points. And [with the match] being at our home, we want it all the more. We didn’t give our fans a home victory in the first game, so hopefully, this game we can give them the three points and something to cheer about.