IPL 2020 | Was looking to bat positively; bit disappointed that I couldn’t stay till end, admits Mandeep Singh
Following the drubbing at the hands of CSK, Mandeep Singh admitted that he was looking to bat positively before adding that he was a bit disappointed about his dismissal. However, he stated that KXIP are addressing their issues in terms of their bowling and will bounce back strongly next game.
Coming into the second game of the double header on Sunday, both KXIP and CSK were on the spare end of the table, with just one win next to their names having played four games each. After the massive win against RCB, KL Rahul’s side entered their next contest with a bit more confidence. However, a mixture of bad batting and poor bowling put them in a spot of bother, with the defeat against Mumbai Indians.
One of their major issues for the Kings which was exposed during the defeat was the lack of stroke-makers in the middle-order. For the CSK game, the management decided to swap a few things - with Mandeep Singh replacing Karun Nair in the middle-order, a move that seemingly clicked in the first instance. After a 16-ball 27, the right-hander perished with a catch to short-cover. Following the game, he admitted that he was looking to bat positively and was a bit disappointed about the way his innings ended.
“Obviously, I wanted to spend more time in the middle. Of course, I had a chat with Rahul, he also told me to take my time and then play my game. I was looking to bat positively. Yes, I was a bit disappointed, was striking it well. Maybe that was the difference in the end, if anyone of us stayed, it might have been 190-200 as well,” said Mandeep Singh at the post-match press conference.
Straight up, the seasoned player also admitted that it is going to be tough for them to reach the playoffs, with seven wins needed out of the next nine games. While admitting that the team is working on their death bowling, he added that their strength to pick wickets upfront did not work out for them.
“Definitely, it is going to be tough for us (KXIP) from here. We need to win at least seven out of the next nine games, it will be challenging definitely. Our main issue is bowling, we have been struggling with death bowling. We went with CJ (Jordan), obviously Watto and Faf finished the game too early. Hope we can improve that soon and put up a better show.”
However, all said and done, Mandeep admitted that the team would keep their fighting spirit going, with one win at a time.
“Our strength with the bowling is picking up wickets up front. However, today we didn’t pick any wicket. That’s where the game started slipping away from us because obviously they are both fantastic players and they took the game away from us. Our strength was picking up wickets in the early overs. Hopefully, we keep the fighting spirit going, that’s what Punjabis are known for and we would look to win one at a time.”
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