IPL 2021: ‘We needed to bat around and complete the chase’ – Eoin Morgan reflects on ‘disappointing’ loss against Mumbai Indians

IPL 2021: ‘We needed to bat around and complete the chase’ – Eoin Morgan reflects on ‘disappointing’ loss against Mumbai Indians

Eoin Morgan

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) stumbled in the death to hand Mumbai Indians (MI) their first win of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. Needing 31 runs off the last 30 balls, KKR lost the game by 10 runs as they were able to score just 11 runs in the last three overs. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult were sensational at the death as they restricted the opposition with ease.

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KKR skipper Eoin Morgan was disappointed to lose a game that was in their court for the better part. Morgan admits that his team needed to be bold enough to close off the chase. The KKR batsmen, especially Nitish Rana, Morgan and Shakib Al Hassan, threw away their wicket when the game was well in their control.

“Yes, disappointing (to lose). Played some really good cricket for most parts of the game, we looked comfortable in the chase, but they are a strong team, came back well and sad that it didn’t work out for us. Made a few mistakes, will need to sort it out. A perfect game needs to be bold, it came to cost us in the last 10 overs of the game,” Morgan said after the game.

“That’s something we need to take care of,” Eoin Morgan

Kolkata Knight Riders KKR
Kolkata Knight Riders

Rana continued his great form from the season opener and struck yet another half-century but it went in vain as KKR were left stranded for runs in the death overs. Morgan asserts that the pitch is tricky to bat especially while chasing as it gets slow with the game. The Englishman promised that his team will bounce back and learn from their mistakes.

“We needed to bat around and complete the chase – not quite sure what happened, in the games that have been played so far, barring AB de Villiers in the chase (in the RCB v MI game), that seems to be telling a tale. We put ourselves in a good position to win today, but then not to win, that’s something we need to take care of,” Morgan adds.

Rahul Chahar‘s four wickets proved to be key in the chase. He scalped the prized wickets of Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathy, Rana and Morgan to bring KKR’s scoring to a screeching halt. Krunal Pandya was impressive too as he conceded only 13 runs in his four overs. All in all it was a brilliant bowling effort from MI to snatch the win from jaws of defeat.

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