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Mumbai Indians Have ‘Ticked All Boxes’ In Last 5 Games: Naman Dhir
Follow UsMI were languishing near the bottom after losing four of their first five games, but after five wins in five, they find themselves in third spot
Mumbai Indians have always historically been the ‘comeback kings’ of the Indian Premier League (IPL), and this season has already witnessed a vintage MI comeback.
MI were languishing near the bottom after losing four of their first five games, but after five wins in five, the five-time champions find themselves in third spot, primed for not just playoff qualification but also a top two finish.
One of MI’s unsung heroes in this run has been Naman Dhir, who has played multiple invaluable cameos, and he said after the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) win that MI have pretty much ticked every box in the last couple of weeks.
“From the past five games, we are ticking the boxes and we are winning the moments which are leading us to the win. If we continue with that, we will move upwards as well,” Dhir said after the LSG game.
For a change, MI lost the toss at the Wankhede on Sunday, but they still won by 54 runs batting first courtesy a dominant batting display that was followed up by a clinical bowling showing.
Dhir praised the batters for posting an above-par total on a not-so-flat surface.
“I think the pitch was on the slower side but our top-order batters batted very well. They gave us a very good start,” he said.
The 25-year-old further spoke about the positive effect saliva has had on balancing out contests, and revealed that the lifting of the saliva ban has provided him and other batters with a challenge towards the back end of the innings, something they did not have to deal with across the past few seasons.
“Saliva helps because it is heavier from the sweat and it helps the ball reverse a bit at the end. Both bowling units used it quite well. Saliva does help especially in the day game because the weather and wickets are dry.
“I'm practicing these shots in the nets and I’m aware that the ball will behave differently in the last two overs. I'm batting in the nets accordingly. The bowlers are bowling with the old ball in the nets and that's helping me prepare," Dhir concluded.
MI’s next clash is against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on May 1 (Thursday).