Mumbai Indians (MI) suffered their 8th loss of IPL 2024 on Friday, going down at the expense of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium. Chasing a below-par 170, Mumbai lost wickets at regular intervals and were eventually bowled out for 145 off 18.5 overs. The win saw KKR end their 12-year winless run at MI’s den. The defeat, on the other hand, leaves MI all but out of IPL 2024. After the match, MI spinner Piyush Chawla shared a fitness update on former captain Rohit Sharma, who was not named in the playing XI but came out to bat during the chase.

Chawla revealed that Rohit had some stiffness on his back so they decided not to risk him during the fielding.

“Rohit Sharma just had a mild back-stiffness so it was a just precautionary thing,” Chawla said in the post-match press conference.

Speaking on the defeat against KKR, Chawla said that it was just a one-off day as the team was not able to click.

“If you talk about the wicket, it was good, but sticky at the start and credit goes to KKR bowlers, they bowled really well. Sometimes it happens that things are not going your way and the other team comes and bowls in really good areas. It was just one off day,” he added.

Chawla further said that the Mumbai-based franchise will now play for their pride and reputation in the remaining games of the 17th edition of the cash-rich league.

“We are going to play for our pride and reputation because sometimes you enter the field you never know whether you are going to qualify or not. You have to play for your name and that’s what we are playing for,” the former India cricketer asserted.

Chawla said that T20 cricket is all about momentum and that is what the team hasn’t got so far in the ongoing tournament.

“As a unit, I don’t say it is just about batting or bowling, it’s just the complete unit. You must have heard that T20 cricket is about momentum and just that we didn’t get going into this season. It can happen to any team, it’s not that happening to us,” the leg-spinner stated.

(With ANI Inputs)