Krunal Pandya and Mohsin Khan (Photo Credits: SPORTZPICS)
Krunal, who had to retire hurt while batting, also pointed out that it was never easy for Lucknow to get the win over Mumbai, which was their last league match at home.
Lucknow Super Giants skipper Krunal Pandya lauded left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan for being mentally strong to come out of the high-pressure situation of defending 11 runs in the final over against Mumbai Indians.
Playing his second match of IPL 2023, Mohsin successfully defended 11 runs in the final over against the pair of Tim David and Cameron Green as Lucknow crossed the line by five runs and edged closer to making the playoffs. Third place in the points table.
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“Mohsin is someone who has a really big heart. And if you have a big heart in this game, you go a long way. And that’s what Mohsin is about. Really happy for him. He hasn’t played any cricket in the last one year.”
“He went through a very serious surgery. And then coming here and playing the IPL straight away in such a pressure situation shows how mentally strong he is. He has a big heart and when someone has a big heart, the sky’s the limit.” It happens,” Krunal said after the match was over.
Krunal, who had to retire hurt while batting, also pointed out that it was never easy for Lucknow to get the win over Mumbai, which was their last league match at home. “I was cramping and I felt like I pulled a muscle. No matter what the team, I’ve been a team player. Really happy.”
“It hasn’t been easy for us. Although we have played some good cricket, the results have not been in our favour. The fans have supported us and it is good to get them a win.”
Chasing a target of 178 runs, despite not losing a single wicket in the power-play, Mumbai’s playoff hopes have now suffered a major setback. Even after securing a win over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday afternoon, they are left relying on other results to go their side’s way for a chance to progress to the playoffs.
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Captain Rohit Sharma admitted that apart from conceding 54 runs in the last three overs, Mumbai lost their way in the second half of the chase. “We assessed the pitch well, it was not the same pitch as before. It was good to bat. But we lost our way in the second half. We conceded too many runs at the back end. The last three overs went for nothing. The way we started, we were in a good position to chase that target.”
“We just lost the game. We didn’t play well enough to win. There were moments when we didn’t win. Unfortunate, but we need to keep our heads high. I don’t know how the calculations work. Have to come and win that game (on Sunday).”
