BENGALURU, April 18 (Reuters) – All-rounder Will Jacks rewarded Mumbai Indians for the faith they showed in him despite a lean spell with bat and ball by helping them to a four-wicket win over struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League on Thursday.
Coming into the match at Wankhede Stadium, Jacks had taken just one wicket and scored a combined 55 runs in five games but showed his value with 2-14 from three overs and a 26-ball 36 against Hyderabad.
He removed dangerous left-handers Travis Head and Ishan Kishan to help restrict Hyderabad to a modest 162-5, before sparkling in Mumbai’s chase on a wicket where fluent shot-making proved challenging.
“I knew I was going to play a role, they’ve got three left-handers in the top order and we knew that the wicket was going to have a little bit of assistance. I was prepared for that,” Jacks told reporters.
“Obviously I’m not expecting to take more wickets than some of the quality bowlers we have, but I’m pretty happy with it.”
Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya said the England all-rounder was a huge asset for his team, who are seventh after posting their third win in seven games.
“That’s the beauty of him. Having three facets, he can be a gun fielder, he can bowl those crucial overs, and in his batting he has so much explosiveness,” Pandya said.
“That’s the reason he’s part of the team. We back him and I’m excited it came off for him.”
Mumbai host fellow five-times champions Chennai Super Kings on Sunday.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford )
