Delhi Capitals spinner Amit Mishra, who returned with figures of 4/24 against Mumbai Indians, said the wickets of skipper Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard were special for him. Mishra's performance helped the Rishabh Pant-led side restrict the Mumbai Indians to 137/9. Delhi Capitals then registered a comprehensive six-wicket victory over MI at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday.
"The wickets of Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard were special for me because they have been game-changers for MI for many years. I always go for wickets in every match that I play. I had a clear-cut plan about where I should bowl and how I could dismiss each of the big players in the Mumbai Indians' side through my variations. And I am very happy that I could execute my plans. I am even happier about Delhi Capitals winning the match," the 38-year-old said in the Delhi Capitals release.
The Delhi Capitals had just a day's gap between their match against Punjab Kings in Mumbai and their game against Mumbai Indians in Chennai. However, Mishra said that the quick change of venues didn't affect the players. "It was a challenge to be ready for a game in a different venue in a short period of time, but as professional cricketers, we know how to motivate ourselves and recover for the next match. The physio's work is very important in these situations. And once we step on the field, we focus on our performance and we don't think about anything else," he said.
When asked if Delhi Capitals' recent poor record against Mumbai Indians was playing on the players' mind before the match on Tuesday, Mishra said, "In T20s, we have to forget the past and make a fresh start in every match that we play in, because anyone can change the match on any given day. I don't think any of the players were thinking about our recent record against MI. Like (Delhi Capitals Head Coach) Ricky Ponting has told us, we take every day as a new day, and we play positively in every match."
Mishra, who has played over 100 matches for the Delhi franchise, listed a few factors that have been crucial for the team's success in the last three years.
"We are the DC family and everyone in the camp has been enjoying each other's success in the last three-four years. We don't talk about negative things and try to focus on only the positive things. All of us support each other regardless of the performances on the field. I think these are the main reasons for our success in the last three-four years," Mishra said.
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