Debutantes Kochi Tuskers Kerela roared back into the Indian Premier League with an upset victory over Mumbai Indians and skipper Mahela Jayawardene hoped the rivals team will take them more seriously now.
The Kochi tuskers chased down an imposing 182-2, set by Mumbai Indians, to open their account in the tournament and Jayawardene said it was a big win against the IPL 3 runners-up team.
"It was a good win. We were pretty close in the last two games. It is good to finish the game off and it is a big win against Mumbai Indians," the Sri Lankan told reporters after his team notched up their maiden eight-wicket victory.
"It (win) means a lot. All the guys are working really hard. We had an extra session at the nets after the loss against Pune, we showed a lot of character even in the games we had lost."
"We have to keep fighting till the last. I think the rival teams will take us a little more seriously now following this victory. It gives us confidence as well," he added.
Jayawardene said it was important to see off his Sri Lankan teammate Lasith Malinga who has been in rocking form in the Indian Premier League.
"We knew we had the talent, we had an extra batsman today. The wicket was wet, they had a few dangerous bowlers, we had to negotiate them. The start against Malinga was crucial.
They are really a very good team but we were better today," he said.
Asked about his dismissal by Malinga, Jayawardene said, "I knew what was coming. I knew how to play it but I missed it. It was a crucial moment of the match."
Asked if the negative reports about the Kochi outfit in the run-up to the IPL affect them, Jayawardene said, "I don't try to control things which I can't control, my only focus was to control the team."
On a lighter vein when asked about the bright colours of their jersey, Jayawardene said the team chose this colour as it stands out.
"I like the colour, it stands out. It brings out the best in you. We didn't have many options as most of the teams had chosen their colour, we went for the brightest. It suits Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan) and a lot of other guys in the team," he said.
Debutantes Kochi Tuskers Kerela roared back into the Indian Premier League with an upset victory over Mumbai Indians and skipper Mahela Jayawardene hoped the rivals team will take them more seriously now.The Kochi tuskers chased down an imposing 182-2, set by Mumbai Indians, to open their account in the tournament and Jayawardene said it was a big win against the IPL 3 runners-up team.
"It was a good win. We were pretty close in the last two games. It is good to finish the game off and it is a big win against Mumbai Indians," the Sri Lankan told reporters after his team notched up their maiden eight-wicket victory.
"It (win) means a lot. All the guys are working really hard. We had an extra session at the nets after the loss against Pune, we showed a lot of character even in the games we had lost."
"We have to keep fighting till the last. I think the rival teams will take us a little more seriously now following this victory. It gives us confidence as well," he added.
Jayawardene said it was important to see off his Sri Lankan teammate Lasith Malinga who has been in rocking form in the Indian Premier League.
"We knew we had the talent, we had an extra batsman today. The wicket was wet, they had a few dangerous bowlers, we had to negotiate them. The start against Malinga was crucial.
They are really a very good team but we were better today," he said.
Asked about his dismissal by Malinga, Jayawardene said, "I knew what was coming. I knew how to play it but I missed it. It was a crucial moment of the match."
Asked if the negative reports about the Kochi outfit in the run-up to the IPL affect them, Jayawardene said, "I don't try to control things which I can't control, my only focus was to control the team."
On a lighter vein when asked about the bright colours of their jersey, Jayawardene said the team chose this colour as it stands out.
"I like the colour, it stands out. It brings out the best in you. We didn't have many options as most of the teams had chosen their colour, we went for the brightest. It suits Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan) and a lot of other guys in the team," he said.
© PTI
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