JOIN USChasing a challenging target 158 against the Mumbai Indians, the Royal Challengers were four down for 58 after the 10th over and they fell short by 16 runs.
Kumble said losing too many early wickets was the main reason behind the loss. “We lost too many wickets at the start and probably that was the main reason (for the loss). That’s what we need to look at seriously,” Kumble said.
Kumble also said Rahul Dravid’s run out midway through their chase was a huge blow to the team’s hopes of chasing down the Mumbai target.
“Rahul’s run out was crucial. If he was there till the end, it was still a good wicket to bat and we could have chased it down,” he said.
The former India captain lauded South African Mark Boucher for his valiant unbeaten 33-ball 48-run effort at the end.
“Boucher is someone who played till the end and tried to finish the game for us, but unfortunately it was too many runs at the end for him,” he said.
Mumbai Indians skipper Sachin Tendulkar praised half-centurions Jean-Paul Duminy and Ajinkya Rahane for taking his side to a challenging total of 157 for seven, though he attributed the victory to team effort.
“We needed this victory and all credit to JP and Ajinkya. They really batted well till the end. Sanath too did a good job. Our bowlers also bowled well. It was a good all-round performance by the team,” Tendulkar said.
Man-of-the-match Duminy said he felt nice to contribute to the team’s success.
“It’s always nice to get runs and the team winning. It was a decent wicket, maybe little bit on the slower side but I always thought 157 was going to be a challenging total,” he said.