IPL 2021 | This is how Brendon McCullum wants us to play, says Eoin Morgan after KKR beat MI by 7 wickets
After coming down hard on Mumbai Indians and winning the match by 7 wickets, Eoin Morgan has said that this the 'brand of cricket' head coach Brendon McCullum wants the team to play. KKR bounced back despite a solid opening partnership between MI openers and won the match with 29 balls to spare.
A delighted Eoin Morgan praised his bowling unit, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy especially, for restricting a strong Mumbai Indians batting lineup boasting of Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Kieron Pollard to 155 despite a 78-run opening stand.
"Well it's been a long time coming. Since Baz (McCullum) has taken over last year, the way we have played in the last two games is the way our coach wants us to play. It suits our talent to play this way. To hold such a strong Mumbai Indians side to 155 and chase this down gives us confidence," Eoin Morgan said in the post-match press conference.
"Fitting Venkatesh Iyer into our XI has been difficult with a lot of talented guys, and it's fantastic the way he's scored his runs. In the practice games too he has gone on to play this way. Sunil and Chakravarthy are two formidable bowlers. Sunil has been integral to KKR winning when they've done. Varun is the fresh guy. The first two games in this phase has been the template for us to play. There's only one way for us to go in the points table," he added.
Narine and Chakravarthy in their miserly spells of four over each, gave away just 20 and 22 runs respectively on the flat surface of Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Batting against the likes of Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah, opener Venkatesh Iyer (53* off 30) slammed a scintillating fifty in just his second match of the IPL. In his debut match against RCB, the 26-year-old had scored match-winning 41 not out runs.
It's getting better and better: Sunil Narine
Adjudged Man of the Match for his figures of 4-0-20-1, off-spinner Sunil Narine said that he getting "better and better" with his new bowling action. Notably, Narine's bowling action was reported during the IPL 2021. The West Indian had earlier remodelled his action after he was reported twice during the Champions League T20 in 2014. Further, the 33-year-old praised his spin partner Chakravarthy and called him a "quick learner".
"I'm coming off a good amount of cricket in the CPL and The Hundred. It's getting better and better. It has taken me a while with this new action and I have put in a lot of work into it. Getting Rohit out in any form of cricket is good; he is a key wicket for Mumbai. Varun is someone who likes to know about the game and he likes to know what will happen. He is a quick learner and he has far to go. I wouldn't say this pitch was sticky. It was flat but not as flat as last year. My batting depends on what my team requires, if they want to go at the top or at the end, I'll do it," Narine said.