JOIN USIPL 2020: Navdeep Saini's death-over exploits earn praise
The carnage had shattered Royal Challengers Bangalore's confidence. Before Navdeep Saini got ready to bowl the 19th over, Kieron Pollard and Ishan Kishan had hammered 49 runs combined off Yuzvendra Chahal and Adam Zampa. With 31 needed from the last two overs, Mumbai Indians fancied a victory which seemed improbable at one stage.
It needs great temperament to soak in the pressure and focus on the job. Saini, in a nerve-wracking game, weathered the storm, not once but twice. In the penultimate over, the most important one in limited-overs chase, he gave away just 12 runs.
The over began with a wide but the right-arm pacer re-grouped quickly. Apart from a slower ball, Saini kept it full and wide, making it tough for the duo to connect. If not for a six on the fifth ball by Kishan, Saini would have wrapped up the over even better.
"He has been amazing, not just this year but from the last two seasons," said RCB all-rounder Washington Sundar in the post-match press conference. "He has been going from strength to strength. He has grown well. To be able to bowl the 19th over to two set batsmen shows his character and the hunger in him."
Within minutes after his excellent over, Saini was back again for the Super Over. His clever death-over bowling was on display as the Delhiite silenced the big-hitting duo of Pollard and Hardik Pandya. Saini began with a yorker and rushed in a couple of low full-tosses. Pollard blasted one past the bowler for a four but holed out at deep-wicket off the second. Saini finished the over with a slower ball, giving away just seven runs.
"Outstanding Super Over from him, bowling to Hardik and Pollard," said Virat Kohli. "I think the longer boundary helped him gain some confidence for his yorker, because he has got the pace, and he was using the wide yorker well too. I think the guys showed real good composure to get these two points in the bag and they are very crucial points at the early stage of the tournament," praised the RCB captain.
Mumbai coach Mahela Jayawardene admitted that his team was undone by Saini's tight bowling in the Super Over. "We had three dots in the Super Over. So that was a killer for you We needed to make sure that we played some smart shots, get that early boundary away, which we couldn't. We did have one, but a couple of boundaries would have been really handy especially when Booms (Bumrah) comes to bowl," he offered.