Ryan Rickelton admits about losing to Punjab Kings being a ‘Wake-up call’ for Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians (MI) opening batter Ryan Rickelton admitted that the loss to Punjab Kings (PBKS) was a 'wake-up call' for the team, but he also expressed his confidence on the five-time champions having what it needs for the team to win in the eliminator matches.

Mumbai Indians were going with a great momentum in their season, but missed out on a top-two finish, as they fumbled during their final league game against Punjab on Monday May 26. The team is now at 16 points, and are going to play the eliminator mat on Thursday.

Speaking about the match, MI were invited to bat first and posted an underwhelming score of 184/7, which the Punjab Kings chased down with nine balls to spare. The wicketkeeper batter acknowledged that Mumbai have areas to fine-tune ahead of the knockouts. When speaking at the post-match press conference, Rickelton said, "They outplayed us… so it was a bit of a wake-up call."

"It's not the end of the world. In all honesty, the team is clicking very nicely we just need to sharpen up one or two things with the bat, ball, and in the field as well. We've got the skills and group to win the Eliminator. The guys will definitely focus on the areas we need to improve, and I’m sure we’ll put up a strong performance,” he said.

Mumbai Indians are now at the fourth place in the IPL points table, and their opponent for he eliminator clash will be decided after the Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru match. If LSG manages to win, MI will face RCB, otherwise they will face Gujarat Titans.