IPL 2023: "Didn't Start Well" - Rohit Sharma's Honest Review Of Mumbai Indians' Group Stage Performance
Mumbai Indians defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last IPL 2023 group stage game to keep the playoff dreams alive.
Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma wouldn't be blaming anyone if Mumbai Indians don't make it to IPL play-offs despite their facile victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their final league game here on Sunday. Rohit scored a half-century and shared a century plus stand for the second wicket with Cameron Green, who scored his maiden IPL hundred as MI cantered home by eight wickets. Despite 16 points with eight wins, RCB's rain-affected evening match against Gujarat Titans will decide MI's fate, as an abandoned game or Faf du Plessis's team's defeat is the only way forward for Rohit's men.
"We came with that mindset, we wanted to win and not worry about what happens elsewhere. What you can control, you can control and then hope for the best. I haven't spoken to anyone," Rohit said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
"If we don't go through, we've got ourselves to blame for it. If we go through, I'll give all the credit to the boys. That's how it works. Last year, we did a big favour to RCB, I hope we get the result what we are looking for," the MI skipper said.
He, however, did admit their team didn't play good cricket in some crucial moments, including the match against Lucknow Super Giants, when Mohsin Khan defended 11 runs in the final over.
"We did a lot of things right as we went along. We didn't start well and then won three on the trot. The crucial moments in the game that we lost - there were a lot of moments like that." He then cited a couple of examples.
"The game against Punjab here where we needed around 34 runs off 18 balls, we could have probably played well. And the last game against LSG, we had the game in our hands after the first half of the innings. We can't look too much into that. Sometimes it just doesn't come along." His teammate Suryakumar Yadav, who has completed 500 runs for the season, praised Green for his stupendous effort.
"He deserved the 100. We don't have anything to see as far as NRR was concerned. So wanted to see a special 100.
"We felt if we could curtail them to 200 or 210, we felt it was gettable. When I was sitting in the room, I thought what happened suddenly. But then focused on what has worked for me for the last few months. Very happy the season has gone. It would have been good had we qualified by now." Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Aiden Markram felt that his team needed more than 200 on a flat deck like the Wankhede after a great opening stand between Mayank Agarwal (85) and Vivrant Sharma (69).
"It was a decent effort with the bat today. You need a lot more than 200 against MI. Boys played well, unfortunately ended up on the wrong side. It's been a great challenge this year (leading the team), great group of guys, we are on the younger side, great bunch to be around. We have learnt a lot as a team.
About Vivrant and Agarwal putting on a century partnership, the skipper was all praise for them.
"It was an opportunity for the guys and they grabbed it with both hands. Someone like Klassy (Klaasen) and Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar), did consistently well throughout the season."
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Rohit Sharma
Mumbai Indians