Dharamsala: Calling the fifth straight loss a “tough pill to swallow”, captain Shreyas Iyer admitted that Punjab Kings were outplayed by Tilak Varma, whose mature 75-run unbeaten knock guided Mumbai Indians to a six-wicket win in a crucial IPL clash here Thursday.
“Well, absolutely a tough pill to swallow, but I don’t want to pinpoint at any situation over here because it was a great game of cricket. Well fought game,” Iyer said after the defeat severely dented Punjab’s playoff hopes.
Praising Tilak’s match-winning effort, the Punjab skipper said, “He played amazing, he was selecting his shots pretty well, and he maneuvered the field nicely, so credit to him.”
Iyer also credited Azmatullah Omarzai (38 off 17 balls) for reviving Punjab’s innings after a sluggish start.
“Certainly, at a point, we were looking at around 170 to 180, and from there on, he simply changed the momentum towards us. Getting those scoops of sixes, and from 16th or 17th over, from there on, we gained the momentum and getting to 200 was a commendable performance for him,” he said.
Despite the setback, Iyer remained optimistic ahead of Punjab’s remaining matches.
“Definitely excited for the next opportunity. It’s an afternoon game, and we’ve got to win two out of two. It’s going to be an exciting two games. Can’t wait to play them,” he added, referring to the upcoming clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru Sunday at the same venue.
Player of the Match Tilak said his international exposure has helped him improve his finishing abilities in pressure chases.
“To be honest, I do like to finish games, but having played the WC and some international games, I’ve come to know how to finish the games,” he said.
The left-hander admitted the pitch was trickier than expected.
“We didn’t expect the wicket to be like this, the ball was slow and low, it wasn’t easy to play shots. We saw how PBKS struggled in the first 15 overs, then Azamatullah and Vishnu Vinod took them to a good score.”
Tilak said he consciously planned to take the chase deep before accelerating.
“I thought I would take the game deep. I spoke to the coach at the second break; I just needed one big over and I could finish the game.”
He also praised Will Jacks (25 not out off 10 balls) for supporting him during the chase.
“Will’s innings helped finish the game, I just told him to hold shape and wait for the slower one. The altitude here helps the ball fly and you don’t need to blindly slog,” Tilak said.
Stand-in Mumbai skipper Jasprit Bumrah credited both Tilak and Shardul Thakur for the victory.
“Both teams played good cricket and we really pulled back well. Holding your length was key. That was the plan and credit to all bowlers, they kept their nerve. I think Tilak’s knock and the way Shardul bowled, both deserve equal credit. Tilak kept his shape, Jacks also contributed,” he said.
Bumrah also joked about adding ODI captaincy to his resume after leading Mumbai on the night.
“I have captained a Test match, I have captained T20s and now the only game left is ODI cricket, but I don’t see that happening,” he quipped. “Jokes apart, very happy. Had good fun, good weather, great ground so enjoyed my time.”
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