“The belief was always there to chase this down”: Monank Patel
By MI New York Media
MI New York might have been 52/5 in 11.2 overs in a chase of 177, but Monank Patel never lost hope, so much so that he nearly pulled off a heist in the company of Rashid Khan. He spoke to the media in the post-match press conference on Sunday (July 14), and here are excerpts from what he had to say..
On the partnership with Rashid Khan
I am used to these conditions and know the way the pitch behaves very well. Chasing 175, I thought the way we batted in the last ten overs, we came very close. Credit to Rashid (Khan) bhai for the way he batted with me. Overall, we want to win games for the team, but happy with the way I batted.
On the chat with Rashid while batting
We had a good discussion in the timeout. We knew if we would be in the game with two big overs. We came down to 50 runs in three overs. He told me to play cricketing shots. He knows my strengths. The communication between us really helped.
The discussion during the time-out
The belief was always there. We wanted to make sure we were aggressive after the time-out. We got 18 runs off the (Marcus) Stoinis over. Bravo, the way he bowled the 18th over, his experience helped the team. But the belief was always there.
The difference in conditions across grounds in the US
There is a big difference between New York’s pitch and this one. This pitch has something in it for pacers, spinners and batters.
On the advantages of playing in the MLC for USA players
Of course, the league allows local players to get exposure with five local players now being allowed in the side. It is a good chance for the local players to play with the experienced ones.
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