IPL 2020 | It was their skills and execution that worked for Stokes-Samson, reckons Hardik Pandya

Despite a big target on the board, Ben Stokes with his brilliant unbeaten 60-ball-107 and Sanju Samson with his unbeaten 31-ball-54 ensured that the game never went in Mumbai’s favour and got Rajasthan over the line, winning the game by 8 wickets with 10 balls to spare. Earlier, it was Hardik Pandya’s explosive 21-ball-60 that powered Mumbai to a total of 195. 

Junior Pandya reckoned that Rajasthan must be given their due credit as they batted brilliantly and it was their skills and execution that got them over the rope. He insisted that bowlers didn’t have much to do in the unbeaten 152 partnership between Stokes and Samson.

“No, sometimes you have to give credit to the opposition as well. I feel that they really batted well. Bowlers didn’t have much to do. It was their skills and execution that worked for them,” Pandya said in the post-match press conference. 

Pandya highlighted his love for hitting sixes and felt that the target was sufficient as they were looking at a score of around 170 runs during the second strategic time-out. 

“Obviously hitting sixes is fun which I enjoyed and I thought we got enough runs. Initially, when I batted - when the second time strategic time-out happened - we were looking more at 165 to 170 and obviously, we got 25 runs more, which I thought was enough. But credit goes to Stokes and Sanju, they really batted well,” he added.