Basil Thampi was one of the stars of MI’s opening match of the Tata IPL 2022 against the Delhi Capitals.

He picked up figures of 3/35 in four overs and was also recognised as one of MI’s ‘Players of the Match’ for the encounter.

For Basil Thampi, who was playing in the Tata IPL after two years, it was a great return to the big stage.

“It was obviously a great feeling, I was excited to play after two years. I felt blessed and proud and the excitement was double because I was playing for MI,” an elated Thampi told mumbaiindians.com.

After being reduced to 32/3, Prithvi Shaw and Lalit Yadav had slowly rebuilt the DC innings with a 40-run stand when Thampi came in to bowl the 10th over.

He struck immediately, hurrying Shaw with his pace, catching his top-edge which Ishan Kishan held on to in spectacular fashion.

Tw0 balls later, Thampi dropped one short and Rovman Powell pulled in vain, with the ball flying straight to Daniel Sams at deep backward square.

Bowling fast to hurry the batters on a pacy Brabourne wicket seemed to be a plan that worked to perfection at that moment.

“We had plans against certain batters - we discussed it in length in our team meetings. I just stuck to those plans and that helped me a lot on that day,” said Thampi.

Being in the MI camp also brought him closer to Jasprit Bumrah and the two pacers have had a few chats. Thampi credits Boom with helping him deal with the pressure of the match.

“It’s great to be with Bumrah because I learn a lot of things like how he approaches the game and how he handles different situations. That helped me a lot,” he said.

The pacer also shares a lovely bond with skipper Rohit Sharma, who he lovingly calls ‘Chetta’ - which translates to brother in Malayalam.

“I was comfortable throughout the match because Chetta is a captain who understands his players. That helps me perform my role better, so I am grateful for that,” stated Thampi.

Apart from the disappointment of losing in the first game vs DC, the pacer also had some personal disappointment - his beloved Kerala Blasters FC had lost to Hyderabad FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) final a few days before.

“I was sad obviously but the last few seasons, we were not up to the mark but this season, we made it to the final. Hopefully, next season we bring the cup home!” he said.

A three-wicket haul in his first game for MI and his first Tata IPL match in two years bodes well for Basil Thampi.

We would love to see how lethal he can be as he builds more momentum through this season!