Published: Sep 17, 2014, 11:10 AM (IST)
Edited: Sep 17, 2014, 11:10 AM (IST)
Sep 17, 2014
Shreyas Gopal, the Mumbai Indians leg-spinner, said that the Northern Knights outplayed them in the Champions League T20 (CLT20) 2014 qualifier. Mumbai were beaten comprehensively in the game against the New Zealand champions. Mumbai needed to win to qualify for the main draw and hence failed to do so.
Speaking to the official website of the CLT20, Gopal said, “Yes, they fielded very well. They outplayed us to be honest. But I think we did our best. We didn’t start off very well, but we bowled and fielded well.”
Speaking about Pollard’s influence as captain, Gopal said, “He backs us a lot, gives a lot of pep talks. He is very positive in all that he says. He is a very positive captain, a go-getter type. And he keeps backing us even if we drop a catch or don’t bowl so well and is always by our side.” READ: Why Mumbai Indians failed to recreate the magic
Gopal is working under the guidance of legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble at Mumbai. Speaking about his influence, Gopal said, “He gives me plenty of inputs. He gives those small points that sometimes go un-noticed. But those small things could make quite a big difference. I am trying to learn and grasp as much as possible. I had spoken to him a few times earlier also. But I got the opportunity to work with him personally only after I became a part of Mumbai Indians.”
Mumbai had a tough time in the qualifiers. Their only victory against Southern Express was by a big margin but that euphoria was short lived. As they were only able to win a solitary game out of the three, Mumbai were knocked out. They are the first Indian side and the defending champions to be knocked out in the qualifiers.
Catch the complete coverage of Champions League T20 (CLT20) 2014 here
