Cameron Green played a key role in Mumbai Indians’ (MI) eight-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday (May 21).
After the game, Green said they did not enter the contest with the intention of improving the net run rate. It was MI’s last league match of the ongoing IPL and they needed a win to stay alive in the playoffs race.
Furthermore, the five-time champions required to chase down SRH’s target of 201 in just 11.4 overs to surpass RCB’s net run rate.
As it turned out, MI rode on Cameron Green’s whirlwind 100* off 47 balls and Rohit Sharma’s 37-ball 56 to get over the line with two overs to spare.
Later in the day, RCB lost to Gujarat Titans in a high-scoring affair to pave the way for MI to qualify for the IPL 2023 playoffs.
“Our intention was to win the game. We were not going to try and chase down the target in the seventh over anyway or anything to try and boost our (net) run-rate,” Green said in the post-match press conference.
“We know how close games can get here at Wankhede, both teams score really freely out here. All we were thinking was to win and put pressure on RCB,” he added.
Green rated his knock as his best in the format, which also happened to be his maiden century in T20 cricket.
“Definitely, in the T20 format, you never know what is your best innings because you are playing in so many different conditions,” he said.
The Australian all-rounder hoped that his experience over the last three months or so would help him in future tours of India.
“I think whenever you get exposed to subcontinent conditions, as an Australian, you are not really used to how low the ball skids or spins at times,” he said.
“Any experience that we get here is so valuable, batting in different conditions. The last three-and-a-half months that I have had here have been so valuable, hopefully it will hold me in good stead coming here again and I can pass it on to the other guys who come over,” Green further stated.
Mumbai Indians will now face Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator on Wednesday (May 24).
(With PTI Inputs)
