A new city, a new opponent and a fresh opportunity to return to winning ways awaits the Mumbai Indians on Saturday (April 27) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. 

Tod-fod Tim David sat down with the media at the pre-match press conference, discussing the roadmap and the mission ahead for the franchise for the next six league games. For starters, the hard-hitting all-rounder was extremely confident of MI’s chances of making it to the play-offs.

“Yeah, absolutely,” the Singaporean-born Aussie star said of the chances with the tournament approaching its business end.

“But if we're going to be serious about winning this tournament, we need to beat the best teams in the competition, the teams playing the best cricket. It's obvious that if we lose those games, we won't make it. If we beat them, we'll be there in the playoffs and beat the teams considered the best in the competition. So, that's how it works.”

So how was the team atmosphere after the last game? It was a pretty hard defeat to take against the Rajasthan Royals, who chased down our total of 180 on the back of Yashasvi Jaiswal’s century. Tim was optimistic.

“The mood in the dressing room was good, but we were obviously disappointed after the last match. We didn't put a good showing out for ourselves there. So, that's a natural feeling, and we're excited for the opportunity to bounce back tomorrow,” he said.

Jasprit ‘BOOM BOOM’ Bumrah has been at the forefront of the bowling pack for Mumbai Indians. Tim echoed that the team was proud to have the ‘pretty enticing package’ in Blue and Gold.

“He's (Bumrah) incredibly consistent, believes in his own skill set, and has a history of good performances. But yeah, of course, Boom has a unique action, which makes it difficult for batters to pick up. But he bowls fast,” he said.

“He swings the ball when it's new. And then he nails yorkers and bowls a hard-to-pick slow ball. That's a pretty enticing package. He plays all three formats as well, so we're very lucky to have him on our team. And sometimes, when you have players who are the best in the world and skilled at their craft, you let them do their thing. They can take on any role that the team needs at that point. And we've certainly been relying on Boom a lot this season. And we're going to keep relying on him.

“And let's hope he has some more big performances in store for us.”

Paltan, you already know how the last meeting between the teams transpired. This matchup got us our first win of the season, and the likes of Tim David (45 not out) and Jasprit Bumrah (2/22) played crucial roles in the result. It’s the business end, and we need you to back the boys more than ever, and get ready to paint the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the colours of MI’s Blue and Gold.