I'm Really Proud Of The Job The Boys Have Done: Ricky Ponting

Delhi Capitals Head Coach Ricky Ponting doffed his hat off to the Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians after the latter led his side to a record fifth IPL title thanks to a five-wicket win in the summit clash in Dubai on Tuesday night.

Mumbai Indians once again flexed their muscles in the finals to once again display just why they are the most successful side in IPL history. Trent Boult set the tone for the defending champions as he claimed two wickets in his first two overs, eventually paving way for MI to restrict the Capitals to 7-156 despite spirited half-centuries from Rishabh Pant and skipper Shreyas Iyer.

Rohit Sharma then proceeded to spearhead the run-chase with a stylish 68 before Ishan Kishan provided the finishing touches. This was Mumbai Indians 4th win in as many encounters against Delhi Capitals this season, a fact that Ricky Ponting duly acknowledged in the post-match presentation.

Ponting said that even though it was frustrating for him to witness the game from the dug-out,  he hailed his team for the incredible season that they have had.

”MI has been the best team, they’ve beaten us 4 times. Being coach it’s a little frustrating in the dugout but at the end of the day, I’m really proud of the job the boys have done,’’

 

‘’Iyer is a brilliant player, captain, and person”- Ricky Ponting

Ponting heaped high praise on skipper Shreyas Iyer adding that the young Indian batsman has ‘grown in stature’ during the course of the past 12 months. On Tuesday, Shreyas Iyer played a true captain’s knock as he, along with Rishabh Pant led DC’s revival following the loss of three quick wickets.

‘’Iyer is a brilliant player, captain, and person. He’s definitely grown in stature in the last 12 months. Hopefully, we can work together a bit more in the future. We probably had 3.5 weeks of prep before the tournament, so we had a little too much preparation,’’ Ricky Ponting added.

Coming into the tournament amidst prevailing circumstances, Ponting admitted that he was skeptical. The former Aussie captain, however, lauded the BCCI for setting up the IPL successfully despite the Covid-enforced restrictions.

‘’We had a really challenging tour, I was skeptical about leaving Australia but the organizers have done a terrific job. I think we have the youngest squad in the tournament and I’m extremely proud of them,’’ he signed off.

Also Read- I Wanted To Be On The Stage And Happy I Came Through: Trent Boult