Skipper Rohit lauds team effort

A relieved Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma refused to take credit for his individual brilliance to carry the team to the semifinals and said it was the team effort that took them through.

Rohit, who scored an unbeaten 51 off just 24 balls, called it a good week for his team.

 “We knew we had 14.3 overs to reach the target. Delhi always has a good batting wicket. We have deep batting so we knew what we wanted to do.  It is not me who only scored runs, everyone played their part. Right from ball one we were in the match,” Rohit told reporters.

“We thought chasing would be better. We were a bit sloppy on the field but that happens, it was an important game for us. We will improve in the semifinals and finals.”

Asked about their prospect of meeting Chennai Super Kings in the semifinals, Rohit said: “They are a good team. We have beaten them before also. It is a good sign that three Indian teams are in the knockout. It shows how good these teams are.”

The Mumbai skipper backed Sachin Tendulkar to come to form in the semifinals.

 “We all know how many runs Sachin has scored and what he is capable of. The main thing is that he has been hitting the ball very well.  I am not concerned about his form. Hopefully he will come back with a big score in semifinals,” he said.

Perth Scorchers’ coach Justin Langer said they got a lot out of the game despite the defeat.

“Mumbai Indians is a team of superstars, they have incredible talent, and got the win they wanted in the required number of overs.  In Twenty20 cricket, it’s the match winners that make the differences and we saw that tonight,” Langer said.