Corey Anderson finally pays Mumbai Indians back

MUMBAI: Till Sunday night, Corey Anderson must've wished he was anywhere but on a cricket ground.
Bought for an astronomical sum of Rs 4.5 crores in the auction in February by the Mumbai Indians, the Kiwi had become a symbol of all that was wrong with the defending champs in the initial stages of IPL 7.
Struggling to put bat to ball, especially against the spinners, Anderson had managed 150 runs in 10 games, and was eventually dropped from the team.
His failure was highlighted majorly in MI's five-game losing streak in the UAE leg of the tournament. Former New Zealand seamer & commentator Simon Doull felt that the pressure of his high pay packet was beginning to get to the 23-year-old.
His record 36-ball ton against the Windies and exploits against India at home were beginning to look like flashes in the pan, and it seemed his franchise had erred in going that extra mile to buy him, rather than retain the likes of Glenn Maxwell and Dwayne Smith, who kept firing consistently for their new teams.
Deep inside, though, Anderson, was waiting for that one chance to show everyone what he was all about. Luckily for him, on Sunday night, MI decided to give him that chance. In a must-win big game, the hosts needed an extra batsman, and the youngster regained his spot.
It was perhaps the most important call MI have taken in this edition. In an absolute thriller, Anderson blasted an unbeaten 95 off 44 balls against the Rajasthan Royals to help his team get past 190 in 14.4 overs.
"We showed today that nothing is impossible. Anderson was just unbelievable. The kind of shots he played was amazing," gushed MI skipper Rohit Sharma after the magnificent win.
Rohit said that despite his failures till Sunday, the team never lost faith in Anderson. "He was excited. It is his first IPL. He wanted to do well. He was trying hard but things were not falling in place.
"I had played against him in New Zealand recently and saw the kind of talent he has. I always believed he could produce a performance like this any time. I hope he continues this form.
It will be really good for us," Rohit remarked.