Quinton De Kock said that the fact that Mumbai Indians have already in playoffs wouldn’t change the team’s mindset for the coming matches against Delhi on 31st October and Hyderabad on 3rd November.
Mumbai Indians’ Quinton de Kock said having experienced middle-order helps the team, but it does not change his mindset while opening the innings, and he always looks to give the side the best possible start.
Quinton De Kock: Experienced Middle Order Helps As Mumbai Looks To Get Off To The Best Possible Start
Mumbai Indians are at the top of the points table and have 16 points from 12 matches with 8 wins. Their opener Quinton De Kock has already amassed 392 runs in 12 matches averaging 39.2.
“Having experienced middle-order helps in any situation. I would not say it changes our mindset upfront. We just look to get off to the best start possible… If you are still out there and batting with them, it is important that we give them the strike because they are bigger strikers,” said de Kock while replying to an ANI query during a virtual media interaction.
In the initial games of this season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Quinton De Kock failed to leave a mark. His first half-century came in the team’s fifth match.
He has scored four fifties against Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata and Punjab. Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard and Saurabh Tiwary constitute middle order of Mumbai Indians. Since regular skipper Rohit Sharma is injured, all-rounder Kieron Pollard is leading the team in his absence in the last few matches.
Quinton De Kock Admitted Making Silly Mistakes Initially But Found Rhythm Later
Quinton De Kock acknowledged that he made “silly mistakes” in the initial games of the tournament.
“I was hitting the ball well in the nets. I just made silly mistakes in the first part of the tournament. But nothing that cannot be fixed. Once I found my rhythm that is when I started to feel better,” he said.
Mumbai Indians have already secured a spot in the playoffs, but Quinton De Kock said this wouldn’t change the team’s mindset for the upcoming match and they will approach it in the same way.
“We will try to finish in the top two. That will be our number one goal. The next game is just as important as the last one,” de Kock said.
Mumbai Indians will now take on Delhi Capitals on Saturday.