Young Mumbai Indians pacer Ashwani Kumar said he worked diligently on his yorkers and swing while waiting patiently for an opportunity, making the most of it with a four-wicket haul against Gujarat Titans.

After Tilak Varma’s 101 off 45 balls powered Mumbai Indians to 199 for 5, Ashwani, playing his first game of the season, returned figures of four for 24 as the visitors bowled out Gujarat Titans for 100 in 15.5 overs.

“I was working on my yorker, on my swing. I was just waiting. Whenever I got a chance, I would do well. Otherwise, I was going to the temple. That’s all I was doing,” the 24-year-old said during the post-match press conference.

“I had seen the batters before, how they play, but when I went in and saw them, I did what the wicket demanded. We discussed it with the captain and tried to execute accordingly.

“It’s a black-soil pitch, so we knew the ball would keep a bit low. In the first innings, the ball was moving a bit here and there. So our plan was to hit the right lengths and bowl according to what the surface demanded.”

With the 99-run victory, Mumbai Indians snapped a four-match losing streak to climb to seventh place in the standings.

“We were looking at the mistakes we had made and followed what the coaches were telling us,” Ashwani said. “Our mindset was not low, even though we were losing. The team remained very positive, even during that phase.”

Published on Apr 21, 2026