Chennai: Veteran spinner Amit Mishra who registered a match-winning performance for Delhi Capitals against Mumbai Indians on Tuesday, said he particularly enjoyed dismissing skipper Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard.
He picked up the crucial wickets of Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, and Kieron Pollard to finish with excellent figures of 4/24 in his four overs and help Delhi restrict the Mumbai Indians to 137/9.
“The wickets of Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard were special for me because they have been game changers for MI for many years. I always go for wickets in every match that I play. I had a clear-cut plan about where I should bowl and how I could dismiss each of the big players in the Mumbai Indians side through my variations. And I am very happy that I could execute my plans. I am even more happy about the Delhi Capitals winning the match,” Mishra said after the match.
The Rishabh Pant-led side had just a day’s gap between their match against Punjab Kings in Mumbai and their match against Mumbai Indians in Chennai. However, the quick change of venues didn’t affect the players, the 38-year-old said.
“It was a challenge to be ready for a game in a different venue in a short period of time, but as professional cricketers we know how to motivate ourselves and recover for the next match. The physio’s work is very important in these situations. And once we step on the field, we focus on our performance and we don’t think about anything else,” he said.
Asked if Delhi’s recent poor record against MI was playing on the players’ mind before the match on Tuesday, Mishra reckoned, “In T20s, we have to forget the past and take a fresh start in every match that we play in, because anyone can change the match on any given day. I don’t think any of the players were thinking about our recent record against MI. Like Ricky Ponting has told us, we take every day as a new day, and we play positively in every match.”
