Mumbai Indians on Tuesday became the second side after Chennai Super Kings to successfully defend the Indian Premier League title. (Source: IPL) Mumbai Indians on Tuesday became the second side after Chennai Super Kings to successfully defend the Indian Premier League title. Both CSK and MI are considered as heavyweights in this competition, but what separates both is the number of titles.
While CSK have won three, MI have now clinched their fifth IPL crown. On Tuesday night, the Mumbai unit produced an all-round performance and outclassed Delhi Capitals in the summit clash by five wickets. Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma led his side from the front, scoring 68 from 51 balls, while Trent Boult inflicted most of the damage with the ball.
Moments after the win, star all-rounder Kieron Pollard called Mumbai Indians as the best T20 franchise in the world. The big guy from the Caribbean felt that MI’s focus is to get the best out of every individual and how they nurtured raw talent, who went on to excel in the international circuit after gaining prominence in IPL.
“It is a great feeling, it means a lot,” Pollard told former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop on the official broadcast after the latest title run, and went on to add, “having been here for 11 years, (a) fifth trophy is fantastic.”
βThe kind of form he was in, I should have sacrificed my wicket for Surya.β – Rohit Sharma on Suryakumar Yadav’s run-out https://t.co/nxXOzCvdQs
β Express Sports (@IExpressSports) November 11, 2020
Pollard, who has been part of numerous T20 franchises globally, when asked if Mumbai Indians are the best team he has worked with said: “With the amount of trophies, the amount of work and the number of players that went on and played international cricket, play for India, play for their different respective countries, I think you will have to say so.”
Pollard admitted there was pressure to perform with a franchise that had been among the favourites for long, and had heavyweights including captain Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.
“The work that goes on behind scenes – no one sees the preparation, the planning, and to come out and actually deliver on the field,” Pollard said. “It’s pressure, yes, to play for a big franchise like this, but you can only get better as an individual if you take everything on board, take it with a pinch of salt, and take it positively.”
Without question Rohit Sharma should be India T20 captain: Michael Vaughan
Leading his side from the front, #RohitSharma scored 68 from 51 balls as #MumbaiIndians chased down the 157-run target against #DelhiCapitals with eight balls to spare. https://t.co/aE3hHcsS7y
β Express Sports (@IExpressSports) November 11, 2020
“The way we plan, each and every box is ticked in what we want to achieve as a team. The openers, middle-order batsmen, finishers, death bowlers… we have an abundance of them in our team. Again, kudos must go to the ownership and the management staff and everybody for the work they do behind the scenes in order to the project this team in to the international stage. Long may it continue for us.”
He also took this opportunity to tease fellow Windies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, a Super Kings veteran: “Five trophies, that is a bit unprecedented. The closest now to us is three. Dwayne Bravo, you are behind now, I am in front of you.”