Every match is a knockout match for us: Dinda........

Pune suffered their seventh loss when they were beaten by Delhi by 15 runs to slump to the bottom of the table. Ashok Dinda, who came up with an impressive bowling performance in the match, said his team played good cricket but luck did not quite favour them. 

Chasing a target of 165, Pune ended up being restricted to 149. Dinda, who finished with figures of 3/31, said they had done a reasonably good job in restricting Delhi to a total below 170 and pointed out Aaron Finch's dismissal on 37 as the key moment of the match. 

"We played good cricket, but at the last moment luck was not on our side. We got a good start thanks to my bowling. But in the death overs, David Warner took the attack to our bowlers. Still, we managed to hold them back to 164, which was a good effort." 

"The turning point was Aaron Finch's dismissal. Under that situation, the umpire adjudged him out (caught behind) when he was going well. But cricket is a funny game, especially T20, where even a single over can change the game. So, we've learnt that until it's over, don't raise your hopes," Dinda added. 

With their backs to the wall, Pune have to win their remaining seven matches to stand a chance of making it to the play-offs. Dinda said it is not an impossible feat and Pune will be trying their best. 

"Now seven matches are remaining and we will have to win them all. Let's see. Nothing is impossible and we will try our best," Dinda said. 

Dinda said Pune will have to now approach the Indian T20 League as a 7-game tournament and consider each game as a knock-out match. 

"We don't have to think that it's a 16-game tournament. Starting now, we have to take it as a seven-match tournament, where each and every match is a knockout match. And if we lose even one game, we are out of the reckoning. Basically, play each and every match like it is the final." 

Pune's next match will be a home game against the table-toppers Chennai, against whom they had emerged victorious on the previous occasion. While mentioning that Pune will be hoping for a similar result, Dinda said he wanted to target MS Dhoni, who according to him is a key member of the Chennai side. 

"I will be focusing on Dhoni Bhai. He is batting really well these days. I need to work out where to bowl to him. I have to plan out differently for him, since he knows how I had bowled at him in the last match when I got him out and sealed a win for us," Dinda said.