Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Rohit Sharma lavished praise on Akash Madhwal and said he had full faith in his skillset after the young pacer starred in a commanding victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Chennai on Thursday.
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Madhwal played a central role MI’s massive 81-run win over LSG with a brilliant haul of 5/5, bundling them out for a paltry 101 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. This was after Mumbai posted a competitive score of 182/8 after opting to bat with Cameron Green (41 off 23) once again top-scoring for this side.
Madhwal, who drew first blood by dismissing Prerak Mankad in his first over, turned the game on its head by dismissing Ayush Badoni and Nicholas Pooran in successive deliveries, allowing Mumbai to set one foot in Qualifier 2. He would then remove Ravi Bishnoi and Mohsin Khan to become the first bowler in IPL history to collect a five-for in the playoffs.
“That is what we have done over the years. People don’t expect us to do what we have done, but we managed to,” a pleased Rohit said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
“He (Akash) was the part of the team last year as a support bowler, and once Jofra (Archer) was gone and I knew he had skills and the character to do the job for us,” Mumbai skipper Rohit said during the post-match presentation ceremony.
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Rohit also emphasised on the importance of maintaining a relaxed atmosphere in the dressing room to allow relatively unheralded members of the squad such as Madhwal to develop a bond with the veterans and consequently, express themselves more freely on the field.
“Over the years, we have seen many guys coming in from Mumbai Indians and playing for India. It is important to make them (youngsters) feel special and make them feel part of the team, my job is to just make them comfortable in the middle.
“They (youngsters like Madhwal) are very clear in their roles about what they need to do for the team and that’s what you want,” Rohit added.
‘Engineers have a tendency to learn quickly’
Madhwal, who had collected his maiden four-fer (4/37) in Mumbai’s previous game, against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, made light-hearted comments about practising his game while studying engineering.
“I was just practising, and waiting for this opportunity. I did my engineering, and played tennis-ball cricket since it was my passion. Engineers have a tendency to learn quickly,” the Roorkee native said.
“I just practice, and that is what we execute. I’m proud of myself, but I’ll try to be better,” added Madhwal.
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The 29-year-old also was quick to brush off comparisons with India and MI pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who has been out of action since September last year due to a dodgy back.
“Bumrah bhai has his own place, and I’m just trying to play my role,” added Madhwal.
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