'Malinga's my go-to man'

Electing to bat, Mumbai made 139 all out in 20 overs, and then restricted Royal Challengers Bangalore for 108 to clinch the Champions League T20 title here on Sunday at the MA Chidambaram stadium.

“We were a little disappointed at the way we batted. We played a few bad shots, and those run outs too didn’t help our cause. But when we came back to the dressing room, Shaun Pollock (the team’s mentor) and our coach Robin Singh spoke to us, and told us not to lose our hearts,” Harbhajan, who was adjudged man of the match for his three-wicket haul, told reporters.

“I also told the guys to believe that we still can win this match. Even when Chris Gayle and Tillakaratne Dilshan were going great guns, I told them to relax and wait for that first wicket. Once we got the breakthrough, things fell in place for us. For that, we need to thank Malinga,” he said.

Lasith Malinga, who took 10 wickets in the tournament, was adjudged the man of the series, and Harbhajan said the presence of the Sri Lankan pacer was a huge boost for his side. “Lasith has been my go-to man in this tournament with the ball and the bat. Today, he played a nice little innings towards the end that gave us a defendable total. Without a doubt, he’s our top performer,” Harbhajan said.