After a slow start to the season,Mumbai Indians were finally looking to gain momentum at the right time, but then they suffered a 85 run thrashing at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad. The manner in which they were defeated will worry the team management as they were bundled on only 98.
Mumbai will play against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their next match on Wednesday in Bangalore. The Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore is considered as a batsman’s paradise and Mumbai bowlers will have to bowl their skin out if they want to restrict RCB to a low total. With the likes of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Shane Watson, RCB will back themselves to post a huge total in any condition.
Mumbai all-rounder Hardik Pandya said that his team’s focus would be bowling with discipline and avoid conceding far too many runs.
“We know this is a high-scoring ground and as a bowler, we have to be ready for everything, but it would not be wise to concede 40 runs in four overs, which works against us,” Pandya told reporters on the eve of their match against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Talking about the in-form duo of Kohli and de Villiers, Pandya said that being confident is the key and they would wait for the batsmen to commit mistakes.
“As a bowler, we need to be confident and positive about it. We cannot compromise with our discipline to bowl tight line and length, especially we are up against batting prowess of the likes of Kohli and AB de Villiers. Moreover, we wait for them to commit mistakes,” he said.
Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore are lying at the fifth and sixth position in the league respectively, and with the tournament entering its business end, both the teams would be desperate to win the match.
Pandya too said the same thing saying that the pressure would be on both the sides as a defeat in this match could end their hopes for a play-offs berth.
“Obviously, RCB is a side which always look good and confident, but the pressure is on us and them also. This is a do-or-die match for us. And we know someone loses, it might end their quest for making into the next stage. Let us see who takes the pressure better, and comes out winning,” he said.
Pandya said that they are not thinking too much about the past and are concentrating just on Wednesday’s match.
“To be honest, it is very simple. We don’t think much about the result because whatever happened is history. We are just looking forward to the Bangalore match, and, we would like to play as possible and, towards that end we are preparing for it,” he said.