Shame that Delhi Capitals couldn't make it to IPL final: Mitchell Marsh

Delhi Capitals all-rounder Mitchell Marsh feels that it's a ''shame'' that his team couldn't make it to the IPL final after losing final league encounter to wooden spooners Mumbai Indians. DC's five-wicket defeat enabled Royal Challengers Bangalore to make it despite an inferior net run-rate throughout the tournament.

''It was a shame we couldn’t get into the (IPL) finals,'' the 30-year-old said here ahead of the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, beginning on June 7.

Australia will meet Sri Lanka in a five-match ODI series.

Marsh overcame a bout of COVID-19 in the first-half of the tournament and formed the backbone of Delhi top-order with his Australian teammate David Warner.

Coach Ricky Ponting entrusted him with batting at No 3 as he scored 251 runs at a strike-rate of 132.80.

''Everyone speaks about him (Ponting) so much and what he's achieved in the game. But I got a real sense of how much he cares for his players – I guess that's probably what he was like as a captain and a leader of a team,'' he said.

''I got the real sense for how he (head coach Ricky Ponting) cares for his players and that was probably how he was as a captain and a leader of a team -- it's the way he makes you feel. He made me feel like a really important player for Delhi,'' he added.

On overcoming COVID-19, he said: ''After my first couple of weeks, there I thought that I was cursed in India,'' he said.

''I got through my initial injury – which was very minor – but then to play one game and get COVID, it was a bit of a shaky start but once I got going it was nice to put a few consistent performances on the board. I absolutely loved my time there.'' He further said he would like to continue batting at No 3.

''I have loved batting at number three, and I’ve been there a bit over 12 months now. I certainly feel like that's my best positioning in T20 cricket, and I've loved batting in the power play, I've batted a lot with David Warner and had some great partnerships with him — it’s been really enjoyable.'' ''Hopefully, I can keep being as consistent as I possibly can at number three and stay up there. International cricket is really hard, but you've got to believe that you belong here and I think over the last 12 months. ''I have really gained the belief that my best can match up with anyone in the world,'' Marsh added.