Mumbai Indians after losing 2 out of 3 matches are right back on track in Vivo IPL 12 after defeating two of the strongest franchise in the competition Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad in back to back matches. They will hope to make it 3 out of 3 and playing in their home conditions will definitely help the Mumbai Indians.
If they manage to win today’s clash against the Kings XI Punjab, MI will leapfrog Punjab in the points table and will take the 3rd position in the points table. Debutant from the previous match Alzarri Joseph had a fairytale beginning to his IPL career as he finished with 6/12,, the best ever IPL figures in the history of the tournament. He broke the 12-year-old record by Pakistan left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir when he bagged 6/14 in the inaugural IPL. He was playing for the Rajasthan Royals and achieved the feat against Chennai Super Kings.
In the last match, it was youngster Ishan Kishan who replaced the experienced Yuvraj Singh after he had a couple of poor days. Ishan Kishan scored a sedate 17 before unfortunately getting run out. Ahead of the match against Kings XI Punjab, Ishan Kishan revealed the pressure of replacing someone of the calibre of Yuvraj Singh.
“Obviously, he is a big player. When you fill in his shoes even the fans have big expectations that I play like him. With that pressure and being young, I get to learn a lot as well and it helps me see whether I can handle the pressure and maintain my form,” Kishan said.
The match against Kings XI Punjab will be the first of three consecutive matches at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. However, Ishan Kishan conceded that the three-time champions are concentrating on one game at a time. He feels that whether it is a home or an away game none of the cricketers could afford to have a loose attitude towards the game.
“I think whether it is a home match or an away match, you can never have a loose attitude. You always need to be on your toes. At present, we are just taking one match at a time and setting a game plan for every individual match.
There is no set long-term plan, the only set long-term plan in the back of the mind is to win IPL. We need to take one step at a time. As matches come by, we are focused on giving our best in every game. We need to be ready to overcome any situation as a team,” he added.
There is certainly no doubt about the fact that Ishan Kishan is one of the fines talents in the country. It was last year when Ishan Kishan showed his prowess for the Mumbai Indians during his whirlwind knock against the Kolkata Knight Riders, He is a power hitter per excellence but the team management must give him the confidence to express himself in every condition. Ishan Kishan will feature as a batsman in most of the matches as Quinton de Kock is already there in the team with international wicket-keeping experience.