In Rajkot, 40 overs weren’t enough to determine which team won. Such was the game witnessed between hosts Gujarat Lions and the Mumbai Indians.
Till the 10th over of Mumbai’s run chase, where they needed a paltry 154 to win, it seemed that the game would be over sooner than later. Parthiv Patel’s free-flowing knock was one factor which drove the visitors steadily.
However, some sheer magic in the field saw three run outs taking place in the form of direct hits and the game going into the super over.
Jasprit Bumrah might have successfully defended the target of 12 in the super over, but it was Krunal Pandya’s three-wicket haul and a decisive knock which won his team the game.
Post the narrow win, skipper Rohit Sharma admitted that he was proud of his team.
“Never been part of Super Over, that’s something we have learnt as well,” said Rohit. “We got off to a good start, were sitting pretty until the 10th over, knew the wicket was getting slower and the target was going to be tough. We knew they would bowl well, losing wickets wasn’t great, but Krunal did very well to stay till the end.”
“Conditions keep changing, we have to adapt. Never expected the wicket to be so slow, hats off to the guys who kept us in the game. Momentum plays a big part, the last match – we lost by 3 runs, we have great talent, it’s just about playing to our potential, it was a tough match, but we kept ourselves ahead,” Rohit further added.
Krunal was named the Man of the Match, and the elder Pandya admitted that he was happy to see himself as an all-rounder.
“I feel I am an allrounder and need to contribute with the bat, ball and in the field. Need to think as a batsman while batting and as a bowler while bowling. It wasn’t an easy wicket, you couldn’t simply go and start playing your shots straightaway. I knew that I had to stay until the end and steer the team home,” Krunal said.
“I wanted to go after the first two balls of the last over, that six helped me. When we needed 2 from 2, I just wanted to go for a single and let Malinga get the other run. I just told him the same, I didn’t want to take a risk in the fifth ball,” Krunal added.