New Delhi, April 26 (IANS): Five-time champions Mumbai Indians are at the eighth spot in the points table of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, with just three wins from eight matches and lower-order batter Tim David feels if the side wishes to be serious about winning the tournament, they got to beat the best teams.
“But if we're going to be serious about winning this tournament, we need to beat the best teams in the competition, the teams playing the best cricket. It's obvious that if we lose those games, we won't make it.”
“If we beat them, we'll be there in the playoffs and beat the teams considered the best in the competition. So, that's how it works. It was pretty obvious against RR that wasn't the standard that we set ourselves to. That is the challenge for the playing group -– of setting the tone,” said David in the pre-match press conference.
MI come into Saturday’s afternoon game against sixth-placed Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium after suffering a nine-wicket defeat to table-toppers Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur. If they are to enter IPL 2024 playoffs in their typically late resurgence style, they ought to win their remaining six league games, starting from Saturday’s clash.
“The mood in the dressing room was good, but we were obviously disappointed after the last match. We didn't put a good showing out for ourselves there. So, that's a natural feeling, and we're excited for the opportunity to bounce back tomorrow.”
“We had a slow start to the season, then we played some better cricket. If we had won our last game (against RR), it would have been our fourth win in five matches so far. We need to play our best cricket coming to this point in the season," added David.
In the bowling department, Jasprit Bumrah has undoubtedly been Mumbai's standout bowler. Bumrah is also leading the wicket-taking charts with 13 wickets at an economy rate of 6.37, with his death overs economy rate being at just 7.20, showcasing his effectiveness in a phase where batters go for big hits.
David is glad he doesn’t need to face Bumrah in IPL matches. “He's (Bumrah) incredibly consistent, believes in his own skill set, and has a history of good performances. But yeah, of course, Boom has a unique action, which makes it difficult for batters to pick up. But he bowls fast.”
“He swings the ball when it's new. And then he nails yorkers and bowls a hard-to-pick slow ball. That's a pretty enticing package. He plays all three formats as well, so we're very lucky to have him on our team. And sometimes, when you have players who are the best in the world and skilled at their craft, you let them do their thing.”
“They can take on any role that the team needs at that point. And we've certainly been relying on Boom a lot this season. And we're going to keep relying on him. And let's hope he has some more big performances in store for us,” concluded David.