Jasprit Bumrah showed his skills in the death overs. (Source: AP)Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma showered praise on Jasprit Bumrah after he proved pivotal in their 6-runs win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in an IPL match on Thursday. Bumrah was named Man of the Match for his performance as he picked up three wickets and gave away only 20 runs in his four overs.
Speaking to reporters after the match at the press conference, Sharma said: “I think Bumrah is more than mature now. Yes, his performance keeps growing every day. He is a very dedicated individual and takes his game very seriously. He is quite regular with his work ethics.”
The MI captain further stressed the importance of Virat Kohli’s wicket and said it turned around the match for his side. “Bumrah is very smart. We know the class of Virat and AB (De Villiers) and hence we wanted to break the partnership when they were going strong. It (Kohli) was a crucial wicket at that point of time of the game,” he said.
Sharma also praised the 14-ball, 32-run knock played by allrounder Hardik Pandya lower down the order that set a hefty total of 188 for RCB to chase down.
“He (Pandya) came out and got those crucial runs in the end. He also bowled well in the middle even though he went for a few runs. It was a much-improved performance from last game. He is also stepping up that ladder,” he said.
Sharma said that the time away from cricket due to injury might have taken a toll on him, but added that Pandya’s form is crucial to the team. “He (Pandya) was out for a bit and didn’t play a lot of games. So, he needs time to get into the groove. He is a crucial member of the team and very flexible. His form is very important to us, which will do good for us,” he said.
Speaking on MI seamer Lasith Malinga, Sharma said: “He (Malinga) is the captain of Sri Lankan national team. So, obviously, he wants to play the World Cup and wants to do well. He is also coming from South Africa carrying a great form. He wants to keep that form going into the World Cup.”
“I am sure whenever he plays here for us, he wants to do well. He knows we expect him to come up here and deliver the goods and take wickets, bowl fast, bowl bouncers and yorkers,” he added.
