In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, Mumbai Indians (MI) pacer Gerald Coetzee expressed admiration for Punjab Kings’ uncapped player Ashutosh Sharma, who put up a formidable performance despite his team’s loss. Ashutosh’s spirited innings nearly turned the game around for PBKS who were struggling at 77/6.
During a critical phase of the game, Ashutosh launched a free hit from Jasprit Bumrah for a six in the 13th over and continued his assault by hitting Akash Madhwal for three sixes in the 16th over, bringing the required runs down significantly. However, his efforts were curtailed by Coetzee’s slower ball in the 18th over, which proved pivotal.
“He batted really well; he really brought it to us. So I think we just wanted to be really clear tactically what we wanted to do and I think we executed really well to him. It was tense, as everyone saw. That was a big one we were really happy about that. He was cruising the game for them so yeah, it was a good wicket,” Coetzee remarked during the post-match press conference.
Coetzee, who made an impact during India’s tour of South Africa last year, particularly in the powerplay and death overs, discussed his evolving role in this year’s IPL. Shifting from bowling primarily in the powerplay to taking on responsibilities in the middle overs, Coetzee emphasized the necessity of adapting to new roles.
“As a modern-day cricketer, you have got to adapt to the role given to you. I haven’t bowled much in the powerplay but I am really enjoying it. I love the middle overs and I love bowling at death. As somebody who likes wickets, it is prime time to take wickets,” he added.