Mumbai Indians never had an iota of doubt in Suryakumar Yadav's skill & talent: Mohammed Kaif

Kolkata: Upbeat with their win against Rajasthan Royals at home, Mumbai Indians will take on a confident Punjab Kings in their next away game in IPL 2023.

If MI got the better of RR, PBKS defeated CSK in the latter's den in Chennai and picked up two vital points as the traffic jam in the middle of the table continues.

For Mumbai, the biggest positive in the match against Rajasthan Royals was Surykumar Yadav's return to form. The vice-captain sent a statement with his fiery half-century against RR and sounded an alarm for the opposition.

Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif stressed Mumbai Indians' never doubted SKY's talent and skills despite a dud show in the first half of the tournament and the Mumbaikar has started paying back.

Speaking on Star Sports' Cricket Live, Kaif said, "Mumbai Indians always had faith in Suryakumar Yadav. They have been backing him right from the start and no one had an iota of doubt over his talent and capability. With his knock against RR, he's proven his worth. SKY has once again proved why he's rated so highly as a batter. These are good signs for Mumbai Indians."

In a clash between the 3rd and 4th place teams in the table, Lucknow Super Giants take on Chennai Super Kings in a clash that might well see the victor leap to the top of the table.

Former South Africa cricketer Imran Tahir highlighted the advantage that LSG will have as they face Dhoni and his men in a home setting.

Tahir said “The Lucknow team is different at home and away from home. It becomes very strong in the house as the conditions suit it. Lucknow will have to take advantage of home matches as they have to play their next match at home against CSK, which is a tough team.”

Tahir also spoke on how MS Dhoni is nurturing the talent of the youngsters in the CSK squad and bringing out the best in the team.

He said, “CSK is going through a transition phase. MS Dhoni is preparing CSK for the future, he's nurturing young talents like Shivam Dube, Akash Singh, Tushar Deshpande, etc. for Indian cricket. The best thing about Dhoni is that he's very approachable in the dressing room and at the hotel,

and that is the reason why players flourish at CSK.”

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Delhi Capitals prevented a strong Gujarat Titans side from chasing down a meagre 130 and won the game by 5 runs. The credit for DC's morale-boosting win goes to their bowlers, especially, Ishant Sharma. The senior India pacer threw in his experience in the game and prevented GT from crossing the winning line in yet another low-scoring thriller in IPL.

Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif lauded Ishant Sharma for using the knuckle balls beautifully against in-form GT batters.

Kaif said, "Ishant Sharma once again proved experience can't be bought in the market. He used the slower ones beautifully and tricked Rahul Tewatia with his knuckleball. He made full use of his experience and the knuckle balls he used in the death overs, were simply brilliant."

Agreeing with Kaif's observation, former India cricketer Irfan Pathan also commended Ishant for deceiving GT batters with his variation and termed Rahul Tewatia's dismissal as one of the best deliveries of the tournament.

Pathan said, "Keeping a batter like Rahul Tewatia silent, Ishant once again proved his mettle. Ishant used the knuckle balls to perfection. It was the use of deception with action, pace and variation at its very best. It was one of the best deliveries you'll ever see." (UNI)