Chandigarh, Apr 16 (UNI) The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), defending champions of the TATA IPL, suffered a narrow 16-run loss in a low-scoring thriller against Punjab Kings, here at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday night.
Harshit Rana’s three-fer, alongside braces from Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy went in vain as hosts defended the target in an engaging contest.
Reflecting on the match, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane said, “The wicket was a good one, even though the ball was stopping a bit. Our bowlers bundled them out for 111 and did half the job. Chasing 112 on this wicket was comparatively easy, especially after the start we got. It wasn’t
like Punjab Kings bowled exceptionally, we just didn’t bat as well.”
The captain also highlighted the learnings from the game, backing his team to respond going into their next match.
“We’re halfway through the tournament and there are seven matches to go in the league stage. It’s always about coming back with good intent, while still looking to learn and improve as a batter and take it on in the next game,” he said.
Halfway through their league stage matches, Kolkata Knight Riders have bagged three wins in the tournament so far. However, Rahane insisted that the batting unit have to learn to grind out results
in certain situations.
“It’s not about hitting sixes every time and getting that net run rate up. It wasn’t a belter or a flat wicket, there was something for the bowlers. So, we had to grind it out. Even though sometimes
you have to play a maiden over in T20 cricket or play at a strike rate of 70-80, it’s okay. But you
have to grind it out,” Rahane said.
“T20 cricket is not only about hitting sixes, even though we’re seeing most players trying to look for the big shots. It’s not about that, it’s about reading the situation and having the game awareness as
a batter and then taking the game forward. That’s what we lacked today”, he added.
With seven matches remaining in the league stage for KKR, the captain is confident that there is
no room for complacency in this experienced setup.
“All the players are confident and experienced enough to handle any situation. I wouldn’t say we
were complacent or are taking things for granted. I don’t think we’re doing that. We didn’t bat well
and didn’t have the awareness to play according to what the situation demanded, but we learn from it", he concluded.
UNI BM