Follow UsMumbai Indians (MI) are more or less out of contention for a place in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs following their defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on May 3 (Friday) at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
Piyush Chawla, who finished with figures of 1/15, insists that his side will play for their pride and reputation in the remaining three games of the competition.
"We are going to play for our pride and reputation because sometimes you enter the field you never know whether you are going to qualify or not. You have to play for your name and that's what we are playing for," Chawla said at the post-match press conference.
MI have won the IPL title five times but have found it tough to get going this season under new captain Hardik Pandya, who replaced Rohit Sharma at the helm. Mumbai had Kolkata reeling at 57/5 in the seventh over, but let the game slip away from them thanks to a 83-run stand between Venkatesh Iyer (70) and impact player Manish Pandey (42), that brought the visitors back in the game.
KKR eventually managed to get to a competitive 169, but in their chase, MI too faltered early and could not bounce back in the game.
The leg-spinner credits KKR bowlers for the way they executed their plans.
"If you talk about the wicket, it was good, but sticky at the start and credit goes to KKR bowlers, they bowled really well. Sometimes it happens that things are not going your way, and the other team comes and bowls in really good areas. It was just one off day."
MI succumbed to their fourth successive loss and Chawla believes momentum is key in T20s.
"As a unit, I don't say it is just about batting or bowling, it's just the complete unit. You must have heard that T20 cricket is about momentum and just that we didn't get going into this season. It can happen to any team, it's not that happening to us," the leg-spinner stated.
Jasprit Bumrah, who finished with 3/18 and is the current Purple Cap holder, has been MI's standout bowler throughout the season. He has not perturbed by how the bowlers at the other end are doing and has gone about his business without much fuss. This certainly bodes well for India ahead of the T20 World Cup.
"Bumrah is one of the best not only in India but all around the world. He always shows why he is number 1. No matter what the condition, how the wicket is, what the oppositions are. He is always there that's why he is one step ahead of any bowler," Chawla said.
Chasing 170, MI brought on Rohit Sharma in the second innings as an Impact Player. Speaking of the reason Rohit did not take the field in the first innings, Chawla said that the India skipper has mild back stiffness.
"Rohit Sharma just had a mild back-stiffness so it was a just precautionary thing," he said.
MI sit in ninth position in the IPL 2024 table with just six points from 11 matches. They take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Mumbai next on May 6 (Monday).
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