IPL 2021: "We had to come here and do what we had to do" - Rohit Sharma reacts after a convincing win over Rajasthan
Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Rohit Sharma was proud of his boys after they pulled off a thumping win against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). This win keeps their hopes alive of making it into the top four of the IPL 2021.
Bowling first, the defending IPL champions restricted the Royals for 90 before chasing the target in just 8.2 overs to improve their net run rate. The Mumbai's IPL captain conceded that it was a perfect game for them.
Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Rohit Sharma said:
"We had to come here and do what we had to do. The two points were very crucial for us. Once we had them bowled out for 90, we had a chance to finish it early. It is important to seize the game. We had to come out and bat freely. We had a chance to get the run rate in order. Was a perfect game for us."
The Mumbai bowlers were up to the mark with Nathan Coulter Nile leading the pack with a four-wicket haul. Jimmy Neesham and Jasprit Bumrah also chipped in with useful contributions with three and two wickets respectively.
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"We know his abilities" - Rohit Sharma on Ishan Kishan
The young southpaw, who came back into the playing XI after a couple of matches, made full use of the opportunities. He gave Mumbai the perfect start alongside Rohit Sharma to chase down the target easily.
Rohit admitted that they wanted Ishan Kishan to take time and play his natural game.
"[Ishan] Kishan is playing after a couple of games, so we wanted him to take his time. I didn't say anything to him [after he played a maiden]. All we wanted for him was to play his shots, which is what he did," he added.
Ishan remained unbeaten on 50 runs from 25 deliveries. Meanwhile Rohit Sharma chipped in with 22 runs to seal the tie with 70 balls to spare.
Mumbai Indians play Sunrisers Hyderabad in their final league game, which is a must-win for them. Rohit Sharma stated that they will go all guns blazing against the bottom-placed Sunrisers.
"When you're under the radar, sometimes it's important that you come out and do the job nice and quiet. We've been on and off this season. We've been doing well, we've been preparing well, it's just that collectively we were not coming together but today was a good example.
'All the bowlers came together, used the conditions really well and then the batters finished it off. I feel in this tournament, any team is capable of beating anyone. KKR is playing before us and we will know exactly what to do," Rohit Sharma concluded.
The defending IPL champions are currently placed fifth in the IPL points table with 12 points from 13 matches. They are at par with Kolkata Knight Riders in terms of points but are below Kolkata in the standings due to poor net run rate.