IPL 2020 | Important for us to stick to our strategy against Mumbai, states Marcus Stoinis
Stoinis all-round performance helped DC to their first IPL final
|IPLT20
Following his all-round display, Marcus Stoinis has stated that it would be important for Delhi to just stick to their strategy against Mumbai and just play to their strength on Tuesday. He added that bowling is quite tough in T20s but planning and execution always makes it easy to pick wickets.
When Marcus Stoinis was promoted to the top of the order for Delhi Capitals, it wasnât an unexpected move but something that was always on the cards for the franchise. The right-hander, who walked in to bat alongside the in-form Shikhar Dhawan, scored a handy 27-ball 38 to get Delhi off to a flying start in the powerplay, with the move paying off well for the franchise, in their hopes of reaching their first IPL final.Â
Alongside that, he also contributed heavily with the ball, picking up three important wickets in Delhiâs crucial win against Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, the biggest challenge for them is waiting in the final, where a strong Mumbai unit would take them head-on. With all the pressure around, a calm Stoinis in the post-match press-conference stated that it is important for Delhi to stick to their strategy and just play their best cricket.Â
âI am looking forward to going to the change room to see how everyone is going, it is a nice feeling right now knowing we have made the finals. The preparations for the finals will be the same, it is important to stick to your strategy when these important games coming up. Mumbai have been consistent throughout this season and they have beaten us twice, but I think if we play our best cricket, it should be good enough,â said Stoinis in the post-match press conference.Â
Batting along Stoinis, Dhawan also put on a masterclass in the second qualifier, with the southpaw scoring 78 runs off just 50 deliveries, a knock which changed the shape of the encounter. While Dhawan held a meagre record in the playoffs before this encounter, everything changed after his knock, which led Delhi to their first final. Stoinis credited the southpaw, admitting that he has been âunbelievableâ the entire season.Â
âYeah, Shikhar has been unbelievable in the entire tournament. Ya, I know you guys have been discussing it (promoting Stoinis at the top) so obviously thanks to the skipper for getting me in. Batting with Shikhar is really easy, he has played well the entire tournament and Iâm just glad that I can get the team off to a good start.â
Regarding his spell, where he picked up three crucial wickets for the franchise - Priyam Garg, Manish Pandey and Kane Williamson - Stoinis revealed that it was all based on the planning that underwent behind the scenes. He stated that it wasnât just trying to get wickets but to control the run-rate, which eventually led to wickets elsewhere as well.
âBowling in this format is always hard, it is about the planning before you reach the ground, you speak to the captain and coach, it is also important to stick to your strengths, in T20 matches, you are not always trying to take a wicket, you are also trying to control the run-rate which eventually leads to wickets.â
