Chennai, May 5 (IANS) Ahead of their IPL 2023 match against Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan said that he feels once a batter is set, he wants to finish the game for his side.
Mumbai Indians might have won both their previous matches with record-breaking chases but Ishan is confident of the team getting the results even if they are asked to bat first.
“Our intent is going to be very clear. If the ball is there (to be hit), we will go for it. In T20 cricket, it is just a matter of an over or two. You just need one or two good overs. We know they have good spinners and the wicket is going to turn here. But we are used to it because we have played so many years of the IPL now. We are ready for all conditions,” said Kishan about doing well in all conditions.
Kishan was the ‘Player of the Match’ in the team’s last match against Punjab Kings, where he blitzed 75 in just 41 deliveries as the team comfortably chased down a target of 215.
The left-hander said that the key to doing well in big chases was maximising the Powerplay.
“I think it is very important to get a good start when you’re chasing such big totals. You need your powerplay to be good, we scored 54 runs in the first six overs. We have done it in almost every game now, scoring over 50 runs in the Powerplay,” he said.
“We just focus on playing good shots. We believe in the intent of going after the bowlers and not letting them dominate the game. That’s the positive mindset we keep in every game to put the pressure on the bowlers. We can dominate the game from any situation,” he added.
MI’s power-packed middle order of Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and Tim David have been in fine form this season and their role would be key on a Chennai surface that might assist the spinners.
“You have to take your chances. We know how well Tim David, Tilak and Surya bhai are batting. When you’re the set batter in the middle, you want to finish the game and don’t want to leave it to the new batsman. Especially in Chennai, where it is not easy for a batter to get going straight away. If you’re set in the middle, you have to finish the game,” said Ishan.
Kishan also said that having a proven finisher like Tim David in their ranks is a big positive for the Mumbai Indians, with the big hitting Australian capable of taking the attack to all kinds of bowling.
“I think he has been doing really well for us. He can hit big not just when the pacers are bowling but also when the spinners are bowling. We just keep him relaxed, we don’t want to put too much pressure on him. We just want him to play his shots. Having him gives us a lot of confidence that even if we get out, there is someone who can finish matches,” he concluded.
–IANS
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