Published: May 22, 2017, 09:55 AM (IST)
Edited: May 22, 2017, 09:54 AM (IST)
Mumbai Indians (MI) won the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 and became the first team to win the title for the third time. Krunal Pandya won the Man of the Match award in the final and became only the second uncapped player in IPL history to receive the award in the tournament finale. Krunal came into bat in the eighth over when MI were 41 for 3. They soon slumped to 79 for 7. Krunal 38-ball 47 and his 50-run partnership with Mitchell Johnson ensured MI were not bowled out and reached to a respectable 129. He later bowled 4 overs and gave away 31 runs. Full scorecard: RPS vs MI
“I really feel great that I contributed in two big games. When the wickets were falling, I wanted to play 20 overs because I was the only batsman. I knew if I stayed till the 19th or 20th over, I could attack,” said Krunal after winning the award.
Further emphasising on the strategy, Krunal stated that the pitch was gripping at times and skidding too and therefore he wanted to ensure Mumbai had enough runs on the board.
“The pitch was gripping sometimes, and skidding at others. I wanted to make sure I was there till the end, giving the bowlers a chance,” added Krunal before going on to credit Nitin Patel for ensuring the all-rounder was fit for the playoffs.
Krunal had suffered a groin injury, which had kept him out for a few games. However, the Baroda all-rounder returned with a bang and made a difference to Mumbai’s campaign.
“In the end, it comes down to preparation. I prepared well before the tournament and the results came. I want to thank Nitin Patel who helped me out when I got injured a few days back. It’s a dream come true to be Man of the Match in the final and a lot of credit goes to Nitin Patel for getting me fit in time for the playoffs,” said Krunal, who finished with 243 runs this season added to his wicket tally of 10. He has bowled at an economy rate of 6.82.
