Mumbai: Following the defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Mumbai Indians leg spinner Piyush Chawla said that it was just a one-off day as the team was not able to click.
Riding on an 83-run stand between Venkatesh Iyer-Manish Pandey followed by Mitchell Starc's pure pace magic KKR registered a 24-run victory against MI at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday.
"If you talk about the wicket, it was good, but sticky at the start and credit goes to KKR bowlers, they bowled really well. Sometimes it happens that things are not going your way and the other team comes and bowls in really good areas. It was just one off day," Chawla said in the post-match press conference.
The experienced bowler further said that the Mumbai-based franchise will now play for their pride and reputation in the remaining games of the 17th edition of the cash-rich league.
"We are going to play for our pride and reputation because sometimes you enter the field you never know whether you are going to qualify or not. You have to play for your name and that's what we are playing for," the former India cricketer asserted.
Chawla said that T20 cricket is all about momentum and that is what the team hasn't got so far in the ongoing tournament.
"As a unit, I don't say it is just about batting or bowling, it's just the complete unit. You must have heard that T20 cricket is about momentum and just that we didn't get going into this season. It can happen to any team, it's not that happening to us," the leg-spinner stated.
The World Cup-winning player lauded the star India pacer Jasprit Bumrah. He said that Bumrah is one of the best players not only in India but all around the world.
"Bumrah is one of the best not only in India but all around the world. He always shows why he is number 1. No matter what the condition, how the wicket is, what the oppositions are. He is always there that's why he is one step ahead of any bowler," the 35-year-old concluded.
Coming to the match, put to bat first, a solid partnership stand of 83 runs between Venkatesh Iyer (70 off 52) and Manish Pandey (42 off 31) guided KKR to 169. For MI, Jasprit Bumrah returned with a double-wicket over before ending with a spell of 3 for 18 in 3.5 overs.
In reply, MI were bundled out for 145. Starc made a terrific comeback in the tournament with a figure of 4-33 in just 3.5 overs, handing KKR a 24-run victory. Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine both finished with identical figures of 2/22, including some big wickets in the first half of the chase which put KKR on top in the match.
Following the win, KKR stand in second place on IPL 2024 standings with 14 points. Meanwhile, MI hold ninth place with 6 points by their name.KKR will next take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday.