Four titles – the most in IPL history. One of the best batsmen in limited overs cricket – Rohit Sharma – as captain, two pacemakers – Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult – who can send chills to any batting order, and three all-rounders – Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya With the ability of changing the course of a T20 game without help, the Mumbai Indians are one of the better sides of the shorter format for a reason. So it comes as no surprise when their bowling coach Shane Bond says that neither team wants to face MI before IPL 2020 Qualifier 1 against Delhi Capitals.
“I think we are the team that nobody really wants to play for, because they know that if we play well, we can do some damage,” Bond said on the eve of the big game.
MI was the first team to secure qualification and also the first to secure a top two result this year thanks to some impressive performances across the board.
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“We have a lot of players who have experienced winning the tournament. They know how to win with a tight game, so we come in with that weight behind us and that makes a big difference … ”added the former Kiwi pacemaker.
He said the team has a set of players who know how to play in key games and that could be an advantage for the four-time champions against Delhi Capitals.
“You have Pollards, the Rohits, the Pandya brothers now, Suryakumar… guys who know how to win, they know the intensity of the final, the pressures of the final, they have played well and they have been successful in those finals.
“So if you take that to the final (play-offs) against the team that has not been successful and is nervous, then it is to your advantage,” he said.
“We are a team that knows how to win, we have great players in our team, we still have to play very well, because we play with those who have earned their place and we are outstanding teams. “There is confidence in this group that we know how to do the job.” The Mumbai Indians had rested key pacemakers Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult in the game against SRH, who lost by 10 wickets, but Bond defended the decision saying it was made with a long-term vision.
“Trent and Jasprit have been outstanding in the way they have played.
“We knew not only from back-to-back games, but also from Dubai to Sharjah round trips that it was an opportunity for us to give those guys a break and refresh ourselves, knowing we have at least two games coming up, and possibly three.
“Hopefully you get the benefits of giving those guys a week off on the track and both guys enjoyed the rest. “We have a bowling team, especially the fast players, who are all ready to play, so we got injured, we know that everyone has hit the playing time as well, which puts us in a very good position.” According to Bond, his higher order is in full swing.
“You don’t want to see the tail hitting, if they’re not hitting, your highest order is to score runs and we know that when our highest order is to score runs, we are scoring great runs,” he said.
“The advantage from a hitting point of view is that Kieron Pollard had to face 20 balls and he hit him, so that puts him in really good shape for the final because he hasn’t hit much, in terms of that, he has worked quite well. . , ”The bowling coach.
(With PTI inputs)
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