Without regular captain Hardik Pandya, the five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians have faced difficulties, but the game goes on, all-rounder Corbin Bosch stated in Dharamsala on Wednesday.
The Mumbai Indians were eliminated from playoff contention this season after a close defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Raipur on Sunday. Pandya was unable to play because of a back spasm.
After missing the home game against Lucknow Super Giants and the away match against Delhi Capitals, Pandya missed his third group-stage match of the season against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
“It’s obviously been tough. Hardik is not only a leader but a fantastic cricketer as well. We’ve missed his presence when it comes to the on-field stuff,” PTI quoted Bosch telling reporters on the eve of MI’s contest against Punjab Kings.
“I’m sure the people that are making decisions and the people that are looking after him are trying to do the best for him and for the team itself. It has been tricky but at the same time the game does move forward and we still need to play cricket so it’s one of those things.”
On all three of Pandya’s absences, Suryakumar Yadav has filled in, and on Thursday, the India T20I captain might captain the team for the fourth time this season in Dharamsala.
All-rounder Bosch claimed that the Mumbai Indians’ troubles this season are due to their incapacity to put together a comprehensive effort. The squad is now sitting in second-last spot in the 10-team points table.
“We just have not put together a complete game. One day it’s been the bowlers who would do well and the batters struggle a little bit or the (next day) the batters do well and the bowlers struggle,” he said.
“The key moments in the game which this team is known for winning, we just haven’t done that this year. Maybe dropping crucial chances at crucial stages of the game that have swung the game in the opposite direction. It’s a multitude of things but at the same time going into each game, we make sure that we leave no stone unturned,” Bosch added.
Trevor Gonsalves, assistant bowling coach for the Punjab Kings, stated that the team is not distracted by the hoopla surrounding them and is still concentrated on cricket-related issues. Due to some of its players’ off-field behavior, Punjab Kings, last year’s finalists, have garnered notice on social media.
“Yes, today social media plays a big role (and) the news (in media) plays a big role. How the big players handle themselves against all these things is absolutely important,” PTI quoted Gonsalves as saying when asked how the team is handling the talk on social media and criticism of the squad.
According to Gonsalves, players cannot be taught such things.
“You don’t need anyone to teach them, first of all. They are big enough. They know how to control themselves. As far as we are concerned, we are more concerned about the cricketing part,” he said.
“Any blogger or any person can go and put up anything on the social media and there are lakhs of people agreeing to it and saying yes or no.”
“But, frankly speaking, we are not too concerned about what the social media says. Now, at present, we are only concerned and worried of tomorrow’s game (and) how we are moving forward in the cricketing part,” he added.
