IPL 2020 | Margin of error was very low; backed myself to defend five runs, opines Mohammed Shami

It was a game of margin of errors, the one with a larger margin would have gone home as the losers. After 40 overs of action, KXIP and MI couldn’t be separated, as they both scored 176 runs to enter the super-over stage, where the game could swing either of the ways. Batting first in the super-over, KXIP were bowled out for just five runs, with Bumrah’s scintillating over putting Mumbai on top. 

In the second half, chasing six, Shami was equally up for the task, nailing those yorkers to prevent Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma six runs, taking the game to the second super-over, where KXIP easily won, on the back of Chris Gayle-Mayank Agarwal’s partnership. Following the game, Shami opined that the margin of error was very low, against the quality opposition. However, at the same time, the pacer always backed himself to pull off the heist. 

“It was very difficult, we usually get 12-15 runs to defend in the super over where we can believe ourself. But here the margin of error was very low, I always backed myself to repeat every delivery on the line. And it happened exactly that way, thankfully! It was a very tight game, even in the first 40 overs and in the first super-over too it was tight, I will always remember this for the rest of my life,” Shami told Mayank and Gayle in the post-match discussion. 

On the other hand, in the second super-over, Gayle faced Trent Boult and smashed the left-arm seamer for a six on the first ball. Recollecting that the southpaw revealed that he was never nervous but rather just wanted to finish the game off for KXIP. 

“Boss is never nervous, I was just angry that we took this to the second super-over. I was like Mayank, did you really ask the question (who will face the first ball). I wanted it, I wanted to step up and win the game for KXIP and the first ball was a six,” said Gayle

Rightly, Gayle pointed out that Shami was his man of the match, for defending six runs against Mumbai’s top-order of Rohit and Quinton, who struggled to get under his yorkers. Overall, he admitted that it was a team-performance, which led them to getting four points in the last two games. 

“Shami bhai, you are the man of the match, to defend six runs off Rohit and Quinny, you really bowled well. Trust me, I have faced him in the nets, he nails those yorkers. Even Jordan bowled really well in the second one and you Mayank, that save to take away four runs from Mumbai was exceptional. It was a team performance,” the opener added. 

“Chris was telling me to just watch the ball and hit it, it was not like calculative to take two or three, it was about watching the ball and scoring it in the gaps,” concluded Mayank Agarwal.