A thumping win, a pumped up mood and a much-needed boost to the net run rate for the Men in Blue and Gold. MI defeated RR by eight wickets with 70 balls remaining, chasing down a target of 91 set by a team who needed this win as much as MI did. 

However, a set of all-round performances ensured a huge win for MI, brightening up their chances of a top-four finish a little bit more. Post the game, Ishan Kishan, who scored 50* (25), and more importantly, found form ahead of a busy cricketing season, shared his thoughts. 

“Plan was simple, to play in the V”: Ishan Kishan 

“Obviously, it's nice to be back opening and getting runs for the team and helping win by a big margin. Feeling really good, was much needed for our team to get momentum. It was good to field first, we got a good idea of the surface. Our plan was to play as straight as possible. Just playing in the V was the plan and the batsmen executed really well. I feel ups and downs are a big part of any sportsman.” 

“I was also not in good shape. Most of the batters were not getting runs like previous seasons. We had great support staff. In fact I had a chat with Virat bhai, Hardik bhai, everyone was there to support me. I had a chat with KP (Pollard) who said you just need to keep things simple, bat the way you used to do, just watch the videos of what you did in the last season.” 

“I watched a few videos of my batting and that gave me a bit of confidence. There is talk of us wanting KKR to lose the next game and us winning our next game, but that is way ahead now. We just have to prepare for our next game. Need to play with the same energy today. Looking forward to doing this again in the next game.” 

MI captain Rohit Sharma, a happy man tonight after everything went to plan, also spoke some words at the post match presentation. 

“The two points were very crucial for us” 

“We had to come here and do what we had to do. The two points were very crucial for us. Once we had them bowled out for 90, we had a chance to finish it early. It is important to seize the game. We had to come out and bat freely. We started well, getting 14-15 runs in that first over and had a chance to get the run rate in order. Was a perfect game for us.” 

“Ishan was playing after a couple of games. I was there to take the risks. We know his ability. We wanted him to spend some time and that is exactly what he did. We enjoyed Jimmy’s pep talk before the game. If he wants to do another one, I will be happy. He is a solid guy and keeps the atmosphere buzzing. You need talks like these and get all the guys going after that.” 

“When you are under the radar, you need to get the job done. All the bowlers came together and did it for us. I feel in this tournament, any team is capable of beating anyone. KKR is playing before us and we will know exactly what to do.” 

Nathan Coulter-Nile, the Player of the Match for his best IPL performance with 4/14, also shared his thoughts on tonight’s game. 

“I just tried to keep it simple. It was a tough wicket to bat on. I just tried to change the pace a little. It was sticking a little. I am not fussed when I am bowled. There are world class bowlers on our side and I hope they can pick a few more and I will have my job easier.” 

It is a happy unit that will celebrate tonight’s win. Irrespective of what the future holds, this win will be cherished by the Men in Blue and Gold and the Paltan. It brought in two much needed points and gave the run rate a boost like no other.