My best innings: Bravo

Coming back from a two-year ban, CSK rode on Bravo’s blitzkreig to chase down a target of 166 with a wicket and a ball to spare after staring defeat at 118 for eight in the 17th over. 

“(It’s my) best-ever (innings). I don’t think I have ever played an innings like this in any format. So this is a special one,” said Bravo. He pummelled seven sixes and three fours at the Wankhede Stadium, leaving the Mumbai Indians bowlers shocked.

“As you can see, when I reached fifty, I didn’t even raise my bat. I knew the job wasn’t finished, there was still a long way to go. I was in a zone. I was just focusing on trying to get the game done for my team. I was disappointed that I was out in the last over. But I played the innings that put my team in a position to win, and that is what happened. I am just happy that I was able to contribute with the bat. It has been a while that I haven’t been able to make runs with the bat. This one will always be special to me,” the West Indian quipped. 

He also explained how he handled one of the world’s best white ball bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah, who was carted for three sixes at the death and praised teammate Kedar Jadhav, who came back to hit the winning runs after retiring hurt.

“Bumrah is one of the best bowlers in the world. It was just my day, I’ll take that. I just wanted to stay still, keep my eyes on the ball, have a good swing. Here at Wankhede the ball travels every time you miss the length. Just get a good contact and the ball will go. I was just trying my best to bat till the last over. I thought that if I bat deep and till the end, we have a good chance of winning. Those two overs, we needed 15 an over. So at some point, I had to take a chance and it worked off. Anytime you hit a boundary, whether it is a six or a four, automatically the bowler is under pressure.” 

Bravo came out to bat when Super Kings were reeling at 75 for five with the asking rate nearing 12. 

“(We) can’t forget Jadhav, who came back and showed a lot of fight and a lot of guts. To hit that six is a special moment,” he said. 

Asked what skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni had to say about the knock, Bravo replied, “Captain Cool said ‘well played’, nothing special. This is someone who knows my ability. He has shown a lot of faith in me.”