New Delhi, April 4 Delhi Capitals pacer Mukesh Kumar said he approached the match against Mumbai Indians with an attacking mindset, a move that paid off early on.
Bowling with the new ball, Mukesh provided DC with an early advantage, dismissing in-form batsmen Ryan Rickelton and Tilak Varma within three deliveries, reducing MI to 28 for 2 within the first three overs.
"My focus remains on taking wickets. That's why I was bowling at the stumps. I was looking to attack," he said at the post-match press conference.
"You need to first assess the pitch, whether it's slow or not. You then need to adjust your plans accordingly. Here, if you hit the pitch hard, the bounce is generally low. I focused on that and also varied my bowling," he added.
Mukesh emphasized the importance of early breakthroughs.
"If you take wickets in the powerplay, it puts mental pressure on the batting team and helps keep the run rate under control. If no wickets fall, the team can easily score 70-80 runs, whereas if wickets fall, the score can be limited to 50," Mukesh said.
Thanks to a disciplined bowling effort and a sensational 90-run knock by Sameer Rizvi, Delhi Capitals went on to win by six wickets.
However, Mukesh admitted that the pitch did not play as expected. "Last year, we played on high-scoring tracks and had requested for a flat wicket, but this surface was different. Initially, we tried to get swing, but then adjusted our plans based on the conditions," he said.
Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, missed their regular captain Hardik Pandya, who was ruled out due to illness. "He was unwell, so he couldn't play. Hopefully, he will be back for the next game," MI pacer Deepak Chahar said.
Chahar felt MI were slightly short with the bat. "Defending 160 in an afternoon game is very difficult. You need wickets at regular intervals. The pitch was a bit slow, and the toss was crucial because there was some moisture early on. We were probably 10-15 runs short," he said. "The pitch got better for batting in the second innings," he added.
Praising Rizvi, Chahar said the youngster has grown in confidence. "Rizvi has a lot of potential. CSK picked him because they saw that. With experience, he has improved. Confidence is key in the IPL, and he is playing with a lot of belief. It's a lesson for everyone that confidence can make a big difference," he said.