Mumbai Indians defeated Delhi Capitals by 57 runs to make it the finals of Dream11 IPL 2020.

Put to bat first, Quinton de Kock and Suryakumar Yadav put up a brilliant partnership after the skipper was dismissed early. Later, it was Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya’s onslaught with the bat that took MI to a total of 200/5.

As DC came to bat, both Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah came out all guns blazing and took three wickets in the first eight deliveries. They were restricted to 143/8 in their quota of 20 overs.

After the win, Rohit Sharma addressed the media at the post-match press conference. The Mumbai Indians skipper shared his thoughts on the win, Bumrah with the new ball and Surya’s scintillating form.

Did you think before the game that it would be as easy a win as this one?

Rohit: “No, of course not. Delhi is a very good side. They have done really well throughout the tournament. So we definitely didn't expect it was going to be like that. But you have got to give credit to our guys. The way they turned up today at the game, putting runs on the board and getting those early breakthroughs was so important. We know in big games, runs on the board is always critical, no matter what the conditions are. You put runs on the board, there’s always an additional pressure on the opposition to go and get that score. Our bowling unit has been terrific through the tournament. They have put pressure on the opposition right from the beginning. So it was good to see the overall performance of the team. The way we played today was absolutely perfect.”

Does the tactic of Jasprit Bumrah taking the new ball change as per the opposition team or will he also continue to open the bowling in the next game?

Rohit: “No, obviously not. We think about the matchups and the opposition team. There's a lot of things that actually go behind it because we want to use our best bowlers against the best batters. It also depends on who’s batting, what sort of form he is in, runs we have on the board. So it includes everything, depending on how many runs we are defending and things like that.”

Suryakumar Yadav has been in terrific form, and he delivered again with the bat. How crucial was that partnership with Quinton?

Rohit: “Surya has been in terrific form. We understand the importance of him batting at number three and he's a crucial player for us there. Having lost a wicket in the second over, we were slightly put back in the game but the way Quinton and Surya created that partnership with the momentum as well which was important. We got around 60 in the first six overs which was a good sign and Surya is someone who is very positive and clear in his thought process as to how he wants to bat. We back his skills and his thought process. That is what we as team management want to do and every time he has come out to bat after the early wicket, he has just come and taken the pressure away from the team and his batting partner.”

There is enough depth in the batting with Hardik, Krunal and Kieron Pollard - all big hitters of the ball. How much comfort does it provide the top order?

Rohit: “It is sort of a balance. The top order is trying to do the job in the first 6 overs and we want to make sure that one of the top 3 or 4 goes on to bat little deeper into the innings. So it provides that cushion for the power-hitters to come and even take some time before they start playing their shots. That is something we’ve done really well through the tournament. One batter has batted deeper into the innings and that has allowed guys like Krunal, Pollard and Hardik to take their time. But, they’ve been in terrific form as well. We saw it today with Hardik. He just came and started playing his shots. It came off really well, some superb shots against a quality attack. So, this shows the kind of form he is in. When you're in that sort of form, you want to go out there and want to play as many balls as possible as well.”

Trent Boult has been in great form, especially in the powerplay. What has worked for him, especially while he’s bowling in that phase of the game? Also, any update on his fitness, as he only bowled two overs today?

Rohit: “Trent for us has been crucial. With the new ball upfront, taking that early wicket in his first or the second over has been very crucial for us to build up from that. He’s always done that in his career wherever he plays whether it’s for New Zealand or any other club. Now he is doing it for Mumbai. So, it’s good to watch. We know what quality Trent has and he’s come here and not disappointed any one of us. He’s just come out and backed his skills, and that has rewarded him magnificently. Talking about his fitness, I’ve not personally seen him, but he looks alright and fine. It was just the precaution that we needed to take because we were in a good position when that happened after his two overs. So, he went in, but he looks okay to me. He should be okay for the finals.”

Lastly, with dew in mind in the second innings, what was the target that you felt safe to defend on this wicket. And, what were the thoughts after the first innings when you posted 200 on the board?

Rohit: “With dew coming in, you are not sure of what target is safer. We saw towards the end, it became quite easy for the batters. So it’s important to get to that par score first, and then anything additional to that score will be a bonus. That’s what we spoke about getting somewhere between 175-180 maybe, and we got 20 runs plus. But again, there’s no particular target that you want to go and get there, because with the dew coming in, you never know what’s going to happen. So, you want to make sure that you get to the par score first, and then if you are in a good position and you have wickets in hand, you can get that additional 20-30 runs.”