Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Rohit Sharma reckoned that they lost the IPL 2020 tournament opener against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) because of few mistakes. He noted that his team failed to build a match-winning partnership like Faf du Plessis and Ambati Rayudu did to snatch the victory from MI.
When Shane Watson and Murali Vijay lost wickets inside the first two overs, chances for Mumbai Indians increased. But the 100 runs partnership of Rayudu and du Plessis broke the backbone of MI. The defending champion lost the momentum in the game and could not defend their 163 runs target. They lost the match by five wickets as du Plessis and Rayudu scored half-centuries.
Rohit Sharma said that none of his batsmen carried the innings like Rayudu and Faf which worked in their favour. He also credited CSK bowlers for making a remarkable comeback when the game was going on favours of MI. The skipper said that he had learned from the defeat and is looking forward to coming games.
“None of our batsmen carried on for us like du Plessis and Rayudu did for CSK. I think we were 85 in the first 10 overs. Credit to the CSK bowlers, they bowled well at the end to pull things back. Something for us to learn. Still early days. We all want to start really well, it’s crucial in this tournament where momentum is important,” Rohit Sharma said in the post match presentation.
“A few things for us to learn from this game, we did make a few mistakes. Hopefully, we’ll rectify those and come out smarter in the next game, “he added.
We need to adjust to new normal: Rohit Sharma
Talking about his experience of playing without a crowd, Rohit Sharma said that they had to adapt to the new normal although they were used to see people cheering them up.
“We are used to people cheering for us, and we knew this (empty stands) was on the cards. Anyway, this is new normal, but I hope for a while and hope that things get better soon,” Rohit said.
Reflecting on the game, the Mumbaikar said that the dew factor would play a major role in the game. He added that the team needed to capitalize on the opportunities otherwise the opposition could snatch the game.
“We need to adapt to the pitches, it got better with the dew coming. You need to hit the gaps and focus on that part of the game. The opposition can tie you down, it’s all about understanding what we need to do.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians will play the next game against Kolkata Knight Riders on 23 September.