IPL 2022: "Obviously, MI is not going to be able to make the playoffs" - Daniel Sams

It has not been the ideal season for record five-time former champion Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Having lost the opening eight matches, it is nearly out of playoffs contention. Although MI is relying on other sides for a fainty hope, pacer Daniel Sams is not being optimistic about it and is instead focused on finishing the season on a high.

MI plays fellow former two-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Match 56 at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Monday. Ahead of the game, Sams was asked about how MI is planning on the season ahead and how is it keeping itself motivated for the season-remainder. He still considers the tournament as a mini-IPL for MI.

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“Obviously, we’re not going to be able to make the playoffs, but how we set up the rest of the tournament for us is, we’ve got a little mini IPL. So, in the last six games, we’ve played two of them already. We’re just kind of judging ourselves on that. Yes, this year, we can’t make the playoffs, but we can still build on a lot of things for the coming season. So, every game, regardless of whether it’s an important game, whether it’s the final, whether it’s the first round of the tournament, for us as players, they’re just as important. I think that’s the really important thing, not to have more value on one game or another because then, it makes you prepare the same, the same routines," said Sams.

As for MI's chances against KKR, Sams noted, “If I’m being completely honest, it was challenging. You start to have doubts. It took me a little bit to kind of move from doubting myself and worrying about all that, to be able to move on and think, ‘What can I learn from this?’"

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Meanwhile, speaking about his changed bowling tactic, Sams explained, “We always plan for what the batter does, but in the end, especially when it comes down to a crunch moment, Boom’s always going pretty much to his yorker. And, that’s his strength, which he knows. Regardless of what the batter does, he’s got more chance of executing that because that’s his strength. Those kinds of conversations with him and working with Bondy helped me realise that I’ve kind of been edging more to ‘Okay what’s the batter’s weakness. I’m just going to target that.’ Even if that’s potentially something that I’m not very good at. There is a little bit of a fine line, but in those crunch moments, like that last over [against Gujarat Titans], I was kind of thinking more about putting the percentages in my favour and thinking what do I have the best chance of executing.”