IPL 2021: “We want to back Ishan Kishan’s natural game” – MI captain Rohit Sharma
Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma has backed under-fire batter Ishan Kishan after his team's loss against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in match 39 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 in Dubai.
Ishan Kishan’s horrid form in IPL 2021 continued, as he managed a 12-ball nine while batting at no.3. The left-hander now has only 107 runs from eight matches at an average of 13.37, striking at a dismal 87, in IPL 2021.
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“Ishan Kishan is a talented player, and had a terrific IPL last year," said Sharma.
"We just need to understand the freedom he needs and back his natural game, which is why he came ahead of Suryakumar Yadav at no.3. We don’t want to put too much pressure on him. He’s relatively young, making his way in international cricket,” continued Rohit Sharma at the post-match presentation ceremony.
In IPL 2020, Ishan Kishan was one of the stars for MI in their successful title defence in the UAE. He smashed 516 runs that season at an average of 57.33, striking at 146. A terrific season saw him earn an India cap, and he went on to make a promising start to his international career.
Safari Super Striker of the Match between @RCBTweets and @mipaltan is Rohit Sharma.
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Our batters let us down: MI captain Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma praised his bowlers for restricting RCB to 165, when 180 looked possible at one point.
MI, though, gave away just four runs off the last ten balls, picking up three wickets. They were also off to a strong start, with their opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock putting up 57 off 40 balls. But they lost the plot after Sharma fell.
“Thought was a fantastic bowling effort from us," said Rohit Sharma. "At one stage, they looked like scoring 180-plus. Our batters let us down, including me. That’s been something that’s been happening consistently (losing their way with the bat). Have had a good chat with the batters. Those who make starts need to carry on. I played a bad shot to get out, and that was the game-changing moment. They (RCB) kept the pressure on us once a couple of wickets fell.
“We need to bounce back from whatever situation we’re in. We’ve done that in the past. It’s just not happening this season,” added Rohit Sharma, who top-scored for MI with a 28-ball 43.
MI’s hat-trick of defeats in the second phase of IPL 2021 sees the defending champions slump to seventh spot in the points table. Four wins would see them get to 16 points, which is usually a safe mark for playoff qualification.
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MI will next face Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.