Daniel Sams, Mumbai Indians all-rounder opened up on his team’s campaign in the recently concluded Indian Premier League, saying the five-time champions didn’t perform the way they wanted to.
Daniel Sams Reckons Taling To Head Coach Mahela Jayawardene And Bowling Coach Shane Bond Was Helpful
“Chatting with MJ (Mahela Jayawardene) and Bondy (Shane Bond) I found really helpful,” Sams said in a video shared by Mumbai Indians.
“There was a conversation I had with MJ just about what he did when he was struggling and he just talked about keeping it simple, being relaxed,” Sams said.
Daniel Sams ended IPL 2022 with 13 wickets in 11 matches with best figures of 4/30 and scored 38 runs. The 29-year-old was happy to have an impact on the team’s performance in the second half of the league. Daniel Sams was part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) set-up last year. He was acquired for ₹2.6 crores by Mumbai Indians at the mega auction earlier this year.
Daniel Sams Admits It’s Not Been The Most Ideal Season For Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians finished last on the IPL 2022 points table with just four wins and 10 defeats. MI recorded eight consecutive losses before opening their account in their ninth match against Rajasthan Royals. The Mumbai-based franchise was plagued by injuries, inconsistencies, and constant chop and change.
Talking about the team’s performance, Sams said, “I think it (has) not been the most ideal season. I actually see it as a necessary season for myself, for everyone to become better cricketers, better people.
“We haven’t quite performed the way we wanted to, but we’re excited about what’s to come next year. A lot of us in this squad have had to learn and deal with a lot of stuff because of the way that we have performed.”
Mumbai Indians finished off their campaign on a high as they not only defeated Delhi Capitals in their last league match but knocked Delhi out of the playoffs race.
Daniel Sams made a decent comeback after being clobbered by Pat Cummins during the clash against Kolkata Knight Riders, where the Australian Test skipper smashed Daniel Sams for 35 runs in an over. Daniel Sams was walloped for 50 runs in just three overs.
Daniel Sams picked up 13 wickets from 11 innings at an average of 28.46 while giving away 8.80 runs per over. He would also like to improve his batting numbers which were quite poor this season, scoring just 38 runs from 10 innings at an average of 5.42.
The best figures of his IPL career so far are 4/30, against Chennai Super Kings, when he dismissed four of the top five batters. In fact, Daniel Sams amassed seven wickets against CSK in the 2022 season. He took 3 for 16 in their second meeting and dismissed each of the top three – in-form Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Moeen Ali.
The franchise retained long-time captain Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Kieron Pollard, and Suryakumar Yadav. Mumbai then splurged handsomely to retain wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, picking him up at the Mega Auction against Rs 15.25 crore (the highest bid for any player in IPL 2022).
Tim David, Jofra Archer, Dewald Brevis, and Daniel Sams were bought for Rs 8.25 crore, Rs 8 Crore, Rs 3 crore, and Rs 2.6 crore respectively. Jofra Archer was bid for keeping in mind the long game because he had to sit out this season due to fitness issues. Jasprit Bumrah was seemingly left alone in the fast bowler department till Daniel Sams graced the scene. However, a crippling shortage of good spinning action was felt by Mumbai.