"Our team was very positive even if we were losing": Ashwani Kumar lauds MI dressing room environment

With this win, Mumbai moved up to seventh place on the IPL 2026 points table, having secured two wins against four defeats from six matches. The five-time champions now have four points, with a Net Run Rate (NRR) of +0.067.

Addressing the media during a post-match press conference, Ashwani Kumar, who bowled brilliantly in the match, said MI didn't have a low mindset despite losing four back-to-back matches in this tournament.

"We were looking at what mistakes we made. We did what the coaches were telling us to do. We didn't have a low mindset. Our team was very positive, even if we were losing," said the 24-year-old seamer.

Batting first, MI posted 199/5, powered by a brilliant maiden IPL century from Tilak Varma, who scored an unbeaten 101 off 45 balls. Despite early wickets, MI recovered strongly in the death overs.

In reply, Gujarat never got going as they suffered a dramatic top-order collapse, losing Sai Sudharsan for a golden duck and slipping to 45/3 inside six overs. The innings further crumbled as Ashwani Kumar (4/24), Mitchell Santner (2/16), and AM Ghazanfar (2/17) ran through the batting lineup, bundling Gujarat out for 100.

Ashwani Kumar came as an Impact Player when MI were looking to defend a 199-run total and picked four wickets. Playing his first match of the season, he finished with a strong bowling performance.

Speaking about his preparation for the match, he said, "I was working on my yorkers and swing. I was waiting for the right moment."

Tilak Varma made his maiden IPL ton in the match, helping MI post a score close to 200 runs.

On Tilak's performance and team environment, he said, "The team atmosphere is great. Tilak played very well. Our dressing room was always positive. Whenever we went up or down, it was always positive. It was a good atmosphere. We knew we'd do it. "

Shubman Gill's Gujarat Titans have slipped to sixth position with three wins and three losses in six games. They remain on six points, but their net run rate stands at -0.821. (ANI)