4-0-14-3. Trent Boult’s affair with the Abu Dhabi pitch isn’t new, and the spectacle we saw today (January 23) against the AD Knight Riders wasn’t new either. But in true Boult style, there’s a certain excitement every time you see him run in. Here he is, speaking to the media in the post-match press conference. Excerpts..

On enjoying the conditions in Abu Dhabi

I feel like I have played a lot of cricket here over the last three years. It is a wicket that gets better to bat on in the second innings. We played the Gulf Giants and moved the ball nicely. It was nice to take advantage of some good conditions today. 

His secret to success today

It is no secret. I like to keep it very simple, pitch it up and get the ball moving around. Nice to get a couple of wickets. The collective performance was what we had planned for, and it was nice to put than in place. 

On passing tips to Muhammad Rohid Khan

I wouldn’t say I was his mentor. I have known Rohid only for a couple of weeks now, but what an exciting talent. He has tremendous skills and moves the ball both ways. Not easy making your debut against some players he bowled against. He showed some great skills, and nice to see him pick a couple of wickets. I think he’ll play a big role in the tournament. 

The strategy against unknown players

It can be very dangerous coming up against players you haven’t seen before. There are quality cricketers in the competition, but for me, I like to keep it very simple. I like to pitch the ball up. It is important to have two or three plans up your sleeve and to be able to move between those plans. But today, I just looked to bowl aggressively. 

If the team talks about last year where MI Emirates lost a bit of momentum in the second half of the season 

It's a long tournament. Not dwelling on previous years. There’s lessons to be learnt everywhere. We don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves. It’s about targeting each game at a time. In any T20 tournament, it is nice to get some momentum in the beginning. Two wins in three games is a nice place to sit. Hopefully we can keep pushing.