IPL 2022: "He'll be back attacking from the 1st ball" - Piyush Chawla on Ishan Kishan

Former Mumbai Indians leg-spinner Piyush Chawla has opined on the form of the team's three key players, Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Jasprit Bumrah, ahead of their IPL 2022 match against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings on Thursday, 12 May.

Ishan has had a mediocre season despite starting with back-to-back half-centuries. Chawla said the left-handed opener's strength lies in attacking from the get-go, a tactic he tried in his knock of 51 (43) in a losing cause against the Kolkata Knight Riders. The veteran bowler argued that Ishan could've played his natural game had he got some support and will now try to do that against the Super Kings.

Chawla told ESPNcricinfo:

"Ishan's best role is playing freely as an opener. We saw that when he wasn't getting runs in the mid-phase of the tournament and then he came and scored 26 (17) [ he scored 26 (18)], there as well he took chances early by trying to hit the deliveries in his arc. He got the start and could've done that in the last match as well but so many wickets fell around him that he had to adapt and play carefully. The situation demanded that. Now when the match begins here he'll be back attacking from the first ball."

The World Cup-winning bowler admitted that Rohit's form has been patchy but said Wankhade will suit him in his search for the long-anticipated big score.

Chawla added:

"Though he got out [early] in the last match, he showed brilliant form in the match before and looked in good touch. He played that sit-on-one-knee scoop, we don't see that often from him. When you are in good form, you like to play such shots. I won't say he's in really good form because he doesn't have the runs to show for hits but he would certainly like to play one big inning before the season gets over. And Wankhade's pitch suits him so hopefully a big knock is imminent."

Mumbai were the first IPL team out of the race for the top four. Rohit is the only batter with a half-century in every IPL season. He hasn't been able to do that this year - his highest score being 43 - and now has just three games left to get there.

Click here to find out which is the next match in the IPL schedule 2022.

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"He was trying too much" - Piyush Chawla on how Jasprit Bumrah turned a page in IPL 2022

MI's ouster from the top-four race came as a blessing in disguise for Bumrah, according to Chawla. The right-arm pacer doubled his season's tally with a breathtaking five-wicket haul against the Knight Riders. Although his spell of 5/10 came in a losing cause, it is the fifth-best in the history of the tournament.

Chawla said that in the first 10 matches, the pacer was "trying too much" under pressure to perform for the team, but reaped the rewards after returning to his basics against KKR. The 33-year-old spinner said:

"In the first few matches, he had that extra pressure because he didn't have much support. To make up for that, he was trying too much and when you do that for wickets, you bowl some bad balls and leak runs as well. But in the last he kept it completely simple and went back to his basics. When you go back to your basics, you don't look too much at what's happening around and just bowl at your best areas. That's what we saw with Jasrpit Bumrah and that's what he's famous for."

Mumbai's clash against the Super Kings will commence at 7:30 pm IST.