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Rohit Sharma would any day take a Mumbai Indians victory as a birthday present; more so when the team finally performs to its potential after eight straight defeats.
Mumbai Indians recorded their first victory of the IPL 2022 season, beating Rajasthan Royals by five wickets, at D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, on Saturday.
"I'd definitely take it," said Rohit, when asked if he ever thought Mumbai Indians would come up with their best show in the current edition on his birthday.
"That's how we play; real potential came out today, with the ball especially.
“They (bowlers) kept applying the pressure. If you keep taking wickets, it's going to be difficult for them. We did that perfectly today," said Rohit, heaping praise on his bowling unit.
He rejected the suggestion that the team combination was the reason for the franchise’s poor showing thus far this season.
"This is the team we played in the first couple of games, except few bowling changes. When you have a season like that, you are not sure of your combination. You want to try out so many things."
Rohit admitted that the conditions in Navi Mumbai are a bit different.
"The conditions are different. The ball tends to grip here, the pitches are flat in the other venues. We try and field the best combination; it hasn't worked for eight games."
Rohit said this season has been one of near misses.
"But one thing I can say is we were not blown away by the opposition; we came really close. Had we won those games, things would have been slightly different."