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 liked 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.
