IPL 2023: Rohit Sharma reflects on Mumbai Indians’ performance

In a thrilling IPL Qualifier 2 clash, the Gujarat Titans emerged victorious over the Mumbai Indians, securing their place in the finals. Mohit Sharma was the standout performer, delivering an exceptional bowling display that played a significant role in the Titans’ resounding win.

Facing a formidable target set by the Mumbai Indians, the Gujarat Titans needed something extraordinary to advance to the finals. Sharma rose to the occasion with a devastating five-wicket haul, making a remarkable impact on the match.

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Introduced into the attack in the 15th over, Sharma wasted no time, dismissing the dangerous Suryakumar Yadav and Vishnu Vinod in quick succession. He continued his onslaught in the 17th over, claiming two more wickets to complete his five-wicket haul. Sharma’s outstanding performance included figures of 5 wickets for just 9 runs in his allotted two overs.

The Gujarat Titans’ victory was a collective team effort, but Sharma’s heroics with the ball were exceptional. His ability to take crucial wickets at crucial moments turned the match in the Titans’ favor and ended the Mumbai Indians’ playoff journey.

With this triumph, the Gujarat Titans have earned their spot in the finals, where they will prepare for an electrifying showdown. Sharma’s outstanding performance will be remembered by fans and players, while Shubman Gill’s remarkable century for the Mumbai Indians highlighted his talent but couldn’t prevent defeat against the Titans.

Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI), expressed his thoughts on their performance in a recent match against Gujarat. Despite posting a formidable total, Sharma acknowledged that Gujarat played exceptionally well and deserved credit for their victory. He commended Shubman Gill’s brilliant batting and emphasized the importance of partnerships in a successful chase.

Speaking about their own performance, Sharma acknowledged that MI couldn’t establish enough partnerships to maintain the required momentum throughout their innings. He highlighted the contributions of Cameron Green and Suryakumar Yadav but admitted that they lost their way during the chase. The team had approached the match with a positive mindset, aiming to give it their all. However, losing a couple of wickets early in the powerplay hampered their progress.

Sharma emphasized the need for a batsman to anchor the innings, much like Shubman Gill did for Gujarat. He recognized that the shorter boundary on one side and the favorable pitch conditions could have made a difference, but MI failed to find that crucial partnership to turn the tide in their favor. Sharma gave credit to Gujarat for their well-executed performance and acknowledged that MI did not expect such a formidable showing from their opponents.

The MI captain also provided an update on Ishan Kishan’s absence from the game, mentioning that he had suffered a concussion but was unsure about the details of how it happened. Sharma emphasized the importance of adapting to different conditions and situations, highlighting the team’s focus on continuous improvement.

While acknowledging that MI did not play well enough to secure the win, Sharma found confidence in their overall performance throughout the season. He identified their batting as a major positive, especially with the impressive performances from their younger players. Looking ahead to the next season, Sharma encouraged his team to carry forward their positive momentum and strive for even better results.

Sharma also touched upon the challenges faced by bowling teams throughout the season, citing the previous game as an example of their strong performance. He praised Shubman Gill’s outstanding form and expressed his hope that the young batsman continues to shine.

It was a great total, Shubman batted really well. The wicket was really good. They got 25 extra, with the batting we had we were quite positive when we went in. Couldn’t stitch enough partnerships. Green and Surya batted well but we lost our way. We spoke about giving it a good crack, we lost a couple of wickets in the powerplay and did not get the momentum when chasing a target like that. We wanted one batter just like how Shubman batted till the end, and you never know – one side is shorter and the wicket was good, anything can happen, credit where it is due, Gujarat played well. We did not expect that, he had a bit of a concussion, I don’t know how it happened [on Ishan]. We have been talking about adapting to different conditions and different situations. I won’t look into that, we did not play well to win the game. Playing this game and qualifying as 3rd gives us a lot of confidence, our batting has been the biggest positive, some of the younger players especially and take it to next season and see what you can do. All the bowling teams have been challenged this season, looking at what happened in the previous game, we had a great performance. Got to give credit to Shubman, he is in great form and I hope he continues that [smiles]. Tim through the season we have given him a role – certain situations where he is going to bat. Vishnu is a good player and I have seen that personally and I’m not going to look at anything in judgement today, Gujarat played well.