That concludes all the action from us today, folks. Thank you for tuning in and staying with us as always. This is Rashad Mahbub, signing off on behalf of Chandankumar Duorah. Go well!
Player of the Match, Kamindu Mendis: "The pitch was a bit slow, so I wanted to land the ball in the right areas and mix up the pace as well. When Pollard said, 'Be ready,' I was ready. I thought if I kept the ball in good areas, the wicket would help. I just got three wickets. [Hitting six off the last ball] I actually didn't want to do that. I have already apologized to Jonny [laughter]. [Sri Lankan players in ILT20] Pathum Nissanka and Nuwan Thushara are doing really well right now. I hope they'll do a bit more this season. [If you had to bowl to Pathum Nissanka] I have no idea where I would bowl to him! I would have to face him in the middle."
Kieron Pollard: "We needed those points. Of course, we didn't expect 122, but restricting them to as little as possible was the aim. I thought the guys rebounded pretty well. Last game, we bowled well, too, but we didn't bat well. Today was a professional effort from everyone. [Bowling options] We look at our bench; we had Chris Woakes, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Shakib Al Hasan sitting out. We have depth there. It's a headache for us, but as mentioned before, we try our best to put the best XI or XII on the park based on what's needed, and I think the guys understand that getting the two points is the most important thing. I think we're there and thereabouts in terms of talent compared to any competition. But as I said in one of the first interviews we did, names on paper, strong team balance, all these things count for nothing if you don't play good cricket on the day. For us, it is about reminding the guys of what's important, which is to play cricket consistently and play well."
Jason Holder: "We're still trying to figure it out. Obviously, 122 is not enough. Conditions got a lot easier for batting as the dew set in. We just had a few boys getting in and getting out; we didn't get a partnership today. We just have to come and execute. I think that has been our biggest struggle. We haven't been consistent. We started well in the first game with our big total, but since then, we haven't really adjusted to the conditions. Tonight was probably a little bit more in favor of the team bowling first, but it's still sad that we should have probably done a lot better than we did. [Team belief] The belief is there. A couple of things didn't go our way tonight, but that's how cricket is played. We've just got to maintain belief in the dressing room. We only have one day between these next two games, so it's important for us just to regroup and still keep that belief. We need to show that intent. We've set a way to play, and we want to continue to play that game and be consistent. It's just a matter of one or two things clicking, which I have no doubt will happen, and we must keep the belief within the dressing room. [Update on Russell] I am honestly not 100% sure. He was ill and in the hospital. Hopefully, we will see how he pulls up tomorrow and then make a determination for the next game."
9:36 pm It simply wasn't the Knight Riders' day, either with the bat or the ball, and they take a heavy hit to their Net Run Rate. Muhammad Waseem set the tone early, lighting up the chase with three consecutive sixes against Khary Pierre before his aggressive knock ended on 27 runs off 12 balls. Nicholas Pooran looked uncomfortable at the crease and was soon dismissed by Jason Holder. However, Jonny Bairstow was in brilliant touch, hitting three consecutive boundaries in the sixth over and continuing the run fest. The Emirates utilised the Powerplay effectively, reaching 63/2, a stark contrast to the Knight Riders' struggle. Bairstow remained unbeaten on 49 runs, ably supported by Tom Banton's handy knock of 29. The Emirates cruised through the chase without a moment of concern, securing a dominant win. Post-match stuff coming up shortly.
MI Emirates won the match by 7 wickets
Stone returns
END OF OVER:13 | 4 Runs 1 Wkt | MIE: 114/3 (9 runs required from 42 balls, RR: 8.76, RRR: 1.28)
- Kamindu Mendis3 (4b)
- Jonny Bairstow47 (36b)
- Khary Pierre3-0-31-1
- George Garton2-0-15-0
Kamindu Mendis in
T Banton c Garton b Pierre 29 (31m 20b 2x4 2x6) SR: 145
Pierre returns to bowl
END OF OVER:12 | 12 Runs | MIE: 110/2 (13 runs required from 48 balls, RR: 9.16, RRR: 1.62)
- Jonny Bairstow46 (35b)
- Tom Banton29 (19b)
- George Garton2-0-15-0
- Sunil Narine2-0-11-0