IPL 2024 | "We’ll play for pride and reputation": Chawla after loss vs KKR

Mumbai Indians veteran leg-spinner Piyush Chawla insists players will walk onto the field for team’s honour in remaining matches after failing to qualify for Playoffs following 24-run loss to KKR

Left with an impossible task of qualifying for the Playoffs, Mumbai Indians’s (MI) veteran leg-spinner Piyush Chawla has said that the five-time champions will now play for pride and reputation in the remaining three league games.

“For pride and reputation… because sometimes, when you enter the field, you don’t think whether you are going to qualify or you are not going to. You have to play for your name and that’s what we are playing for,” Chawla, 35, said during a post-match press conference on Friday when asked what was left for MI to play for. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) led by Mumbai man Shreyas Iyer, outclassed the hosts at the Wankhede Stadium by 24 runs.
It was MI’s eighth defeat in 11 games.

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‘We didn’t get momentum’

Chawla, the former India leg-spinner, admitted that MI failed to get the momentum during this edition and that caused the poor show. “You must have often heard that T20 is all about momentum and we didn’t get that momentum going this season. It can happen to anyone; it’s just that the momentum didn’t come our way,” he said. Bowling first, MI pacers Jasprit Bumrah (3-18), Nuwan Thushara (3-42) and Pandya (2-44) did a commendable job to bowl out KKR for 169.

Chawla, who conceded just 15 runs from his three overs, dismissed the dangerous Rinku Singh (9) early via a return catch. With that scalp, Chawla became the second-highest wicket-taker in the IPL with 184 wickets. Yuzvendra Chahal heads the list with 200. KKR were struggling at 57-5 in the seventh over, but Venkatesh Iyer (52-ball 70) and Manish Pandey (31-ball 42) shared an 83-run stand. That alliance dented MI, reckoned Chawla. 

‘They batted beautifully’

“It was a good partnership and credit goes to them [Iyer and Pandey]. They batted beautifully. T20 [cricket] is something in which experience plays a big role, [which is] what we saw today [Friday],” he said.

Chawla reckoned that had a batsman of lesser experience than Manish had walked in, he would have panicked. But he [Manish] read the situation [well] and the way he handled the situation… he was hardly going at a run-a-ball. But later on, he knew that he had to stay there with Venky,” Chawla remarked.  

For MI, except Suryakumar Yadav (35-ball 56) and Tim David (20-ball 24), no other batsman tried to shoulder responsibility like Iyer and Pandey did for KKR.

MI take on Sunrisers at Wankhede tomorrow followed by an away clash against KKR on May 11 before their final league game against LSG at Wankhede on May 17.

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