It was a pulsating affair, and the Mumbai Indians came very close to chasing down a record 258-run target. Alas, we fell 10 runs short after a brave fight. On behalf of the team, Tim David addressed the media at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the post-match press conference on Saturday (April 27).

“It (the target) has to be chasable, especially when you've won three out of eight games this season. You need to work out the best way for us to get this total,” Tim David said when asked about the daunting total in front of the batters.

“The boundary size was small, but the pitch wasn't fast. The ball had to be changed halfway through because it was getting chewed up. At that stage of the season, you can't just think whether a score is chasable. It's not an option.” he added.

It was about setting an early momentum to avoid pressure in a 200-plus game. Did the Blue and Gold feel the heat at any stage in the game?

“There wasn’t any extra pressure, but we're certainly disappointed in ourselves for not sitting in earlier (making a solid start to the run chase),” he said.

“We will reflect on what we did today — it’s a process we follow after each game. We're trying to improve each time, but now the results must come.”

All the batters chipped in with very useful contributions. Despite the asking rate constantly hovering around the 15-run mark when Tim walked in to bat, his 17-ball 37 helped ease the nerves and keep MI on track. And the task in front of him was simple, see ball, hit ball!

“With a target score around 260, it's about trying to get as many runs as you can. Putting a number on set phases is tricky because someone can bowl a tight over or have a big over. Especially when chasing, you've got to be able to problem-solve everything out in the field,” he said.

“You can't just be picking about a given target and say, let's get to this. You've got to take every opportunity you can to score. So yeah, from our side, there were no set targets about what we were trying to get.”

Lastly, the star all-rounder gave his thoughts on the importance of the impact player and how a team can use an extra batter to accelerate the team innings and set a high team total.

“You're allowed to have 12 players to get one extra batter. This gives the players some freedom, and we certainly see some high powerplay scores. Batting in the other phases is still challenging, but you can throw some caution to the wind when you've got an extra batter there. You get pitches like a little swing or movement. When the ball's harder, it comes off the bat better. Once you get to the back end, the ball gets softer and harder to hit.

“When two fielders are out, the ball doesn't move, and you have an extra batter. It's a license, and we're seeing some amazing batting. Honestly, the skill level is high, and the guys are going out with much freedom. It's great to watch, and I'm sure you guys are discussing it a lot, too. Every time I sit down here, I get asked this question about the impact player or what's having that effect. There is a lot of freedom and confidence in players, and they're putting some big scores on the board.”

It is time to unwind now after what was a frenetic game, relax, and prepare for what’s to come next. We won’t stop here and will keep walking forward in our mission to win every game in the pipeline. We simply have to win everything now. So, Paltan, stick around. Your support, love and encouragement are needed at every step of our journey in IPL 2024. We are reading, we are listening.