MI suddenly looked more united overall under Jasprit Bumrah’s leadership: Kris Srikkanth

Mumbai Indians (MI) defeated the Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six wickets at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday, May 15. Jasprit Bumrah led the five-time champions for the first time after regular skipper Hardik Pandya and vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav were absent.

After Shardul Thakur’s game-changing four-for in the first innings, Tilak Varma played a blinder to help MI chase down a challenging 201-run target.

Former India opener Kris Srikkanth opined that appointing Bumrah as the captain worked wonders for the visitors. The cricketer-turned-expert noted that the players showed the will to succeed and the energy level was right up there.

“It is a good call. I think Bumrah coming in as captain is a fantastic move. Definitely, definitely, there is some issue. Definitely, the team’s mood was more lighter. The team suddenly looks more united overall,” Srikkanth said in a video on his Youtube Channel.

“Surya too didn’t play in that match. He was not playing the match for personal reasons, he did not play the match. But whatever it is, the young side suddenly like you are saying. They come and Deepak Chahar is bowling well. That Raj Angad Bawa fellow is bowling decently. Everyone is performing. Tilak Varma performed brilliantly. Ryan Rickleton smashed and dominated with aggressive shots early on. Overall, like you said, the will to win, they will to succeed. Even though they were down in the dumps, they showed the will to succeed. That is the key in cricket. That energy was there,” he added.

He was giving lots of confidence to the bowlers: Srikkanth on Bumrah

Srikkanth appreciated Bumrah for giving confidence to the likes of Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur, among others. The MI bowling unit wreaked havoc through the middle overs after Punjab got off to a flying start.

“And if you look at the bowling too, even Bumrah was smiling continuously. He was giving lots of confidence to the bowlers. And I thought Bumrah’s captaincy made a huge difference to people like Deepak Chahar. And of course Shardul Thakur, because otherwise, they bowl loose deliveries and leak runs. Today, everyone took wickets,” said Srikkanth.