Mumbai Indians defeated Delhi Capitals by nine wickets to seal their spot in the top two positions on the points table.

Electing to field first, MI bowlers kept picking wickets at regular intervals to restrict DC to 110/9 in their quota of 20 overs. Ishan Kishan’s 72* (47) ensured MI won the game comfortably.

Jayant Yadav addressed the media at the post-match press conference. The all-rounder shared his thoughts on him bowling in the powerplay overs and the good show from Boult-Bumrah.

You and Krunal were used in the powerplay today. What was the discussion between you and Krunal since you guys bowled extremely well?

Jayant: “The initial plan was because it was a day game and the wicket in Dubai because, throughout the tournament, it has become drier. So the idea was to extract more spin with the newer ball. As Krunal bowled the second over in the powerplay, he said that the feedback was that it’s stopping a bit. That’s when I think Polly said okay I’ll also have to bowl in the powerplay. The plan is pretty simple. Just try and contain the runs in whichever way best suited. Different plans for different batsmen.”

You played your first game this season for the team. How has your preparation been? How have you kept yourself motivated throughout this entire season?

Jayant: “So really happy to get a chance to play for Mumbai Indians again. It’s all about trying to create an impact whenever you get the chance and trying to keep myself motivated. I think as players it’s pretty evident that only eleven can play. There’s very clear-cut communication in our camp of places or matches where there are match-up against different teams, where I would come in. So I always knew that Delhi Capitals will always be a match-up. So I was pretty prepared for this game.”

What’s the discussion when you bowlers sit and meet, and do you have specific plans for batsmen against all opponents?

Jayant: “The basic idea of a bowlers meeting is trying to assess the conditions, the batsmen’s strengths, and weaknesses and then trying to implement that in a match situation. It’s like you have a general idea of the wicket yourself and the batsman, so it’s all about the application in the end. It’s very good to have that knowledge where the batsman is looking to hit you. So the discussions are always centered around that and in the end, it also depends upon the current match scenario. You can tweak the plan a bit, talk to the captain if the wicket’s playing differently or if the batsman is playing differently.”

Trent Boult produced a splendid performance in powerplay today. What are the expectations of the team from Trent Boult?

Jayant: “Trent Boult is a quality bowler. He’s a world-class bowler, especially with the new ball and I think that’s where he has an impact. Not only in this match but as you have seen throughout the tournament, he has always produced one or two wickets in the powerplay and if I’m not wrong, he’s the highest wicket-taker in the powerplay this season. That goes to show you the quality of Trent Boult. It’s just day in and day out, he just keeps on producing these performances. In many matches, he just picks up one wicket but having that one crucial wicket in the powerplay stems the flow of runs for the opposition and helps the bowling side.”

Jasprit Bumrah has been a stand-out performer as always. He came into bowl somewhere around the halfway stage today. What was the strategy behind that?

Jayant: “Not sure what was going through Polly’s mind but as you would have seen the way our team uses Bumrah, just one in the powerplay, one in the middle, and two in the end. Because initially, I and Krunal and everybody else had things under control, so Jassi wasn’t needed. But whenever Jassi comes, he has an impact inevitably every game. So it was quite evident the way Jassi bowled today. He was the stand-out performer according to me on that wicket. He had some great wickets and made the ball talk on that wicket as well.”

The top spot is now secured. How does the team plan to carry the momentum forward? Do the past experiences of Mumbai Indians help?

Jayant: “I think the general idea of the team would be just to keep on doing the simple things right. It’s an ongoing process. It’s not just planning for a particular game. But being in the fag end, we would like to do everything that we’ve been doing upto this stage to reach the top two. We will just keep on doing the simple things right and just keep focusing on the process.”