‘He hasn’t shown the same form as last year’: Dale Steyn expresses concerns over Mumbai Indians star in IPL 2021
IPL 2021: Dale Steyn suggests Mumbai Indians should open the innings with Quinton de Kock and Australia batsman Chris Lynn and make the captain bat at No. 3.
Despite the fact that Mumbai Indians returned to winning ways with a victory over Rajasthan Royals in Delhi on Thursday, fast bowler Dale Steyn reckons the team can do with a bit of a batting shuffle to throw the opposition off-guard. Steyn suggests MI should open the innings with Quinton de Kock and Australia batsman Chris Lynn and make Rohit Sharma bat at No. 3.
Also Read | IPL Match Highlights, MI vs RR
Lynn played the first match of the season for MI, scoring 49 against Royal Challengers Bangalore opening the batting, but hasn’t gotten a game since de Kock returned from the second match. Rohit on the other hand, has got starts, scoring 43, 32, 44, 63 and 14 in the five matches played so far. However, Steyn feels MI can experiment a little dropping the skipper down to No. 3.
"I like Rohit as an opening batter but you could throw a real spanner in the works by opening with QDK (Quinton de Kock) and Chris Lynn and push Rohit at 3 and SKY (Suryakumar Yadav) at 4," said Dale Steyn on ESPNCricinfo.
Also Read | IPL, Live, DC vs KKR
Steyn expressed concern over the form of MI batsman Ishan Kishan, who hasn’t quote got going in IPL 2021. Contrary to IPL 2020, where Ishan scored 516 from 14 matches, has produced innings of 28, 1, 12, 26 and 6. Steyn believes the youngster has failed to reproduce his form from the last season while also speaking about the likes of Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard. Kishan was dropped from the match against the Royal at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.
"It (Ishan Kishan's form) is a cause of worry. They have played some games now, they have given him the opportunity to get going, he hasn't shown the same form as last year. And there's an option because they have only been playing three overseas pros for the last couple of games," Steyn pointed out.
"It just extends their batting a little bit. We have seen them struggle in their middle order with Hardik, Krunal and Kieron (Pollard). Kieron has done OK but Hardik hasn't just pitched up yet."
