Mullanpur (Punjab) [India], April 16 (ANI): Following his side’s loss to Punjab Kings (PBKS), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Ajinkya Rahane expressed disappointment with the batting performance, but also stressed the need to be positive with the half of the tournament still ahead of them. He also took the blame for his poor shot selection that contributed to his dismissal and ultimately, the team’s downfall.
In one of the most spectacular T20 matches in a while, a fighting and determined PBKS prevailed over defending champions KKR at Mullanpur on Tuesday, defending the lowest-ever total in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), with spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (4/28) delivering a game-changer bowling spell that triggered KKR’s batting collapse.
Speaking after the match, a disappointed Rahane said, “Nothing to explain, we all saw what happened there. Pretty disappointed with the effort. I will take the blame (for his dismissal), played the wrong shot, although it was missing. He was not very sure (his chat with Angkrish Raghuvanshi) after being given out LBW). He said it could be the umpire’s call. I did not want to take a chance at that time, I was not sure as well. That was the discussion.”
“We batted really badly as a batting unit, we take full responsibility. Bowlers did really well on this surface, restricting a strong Punjab batting lineup to 111. As an individual, you still have to be confident and positive. On this wicket, batting with full face (was better). The sweep was pretty hard to play. Keep the intent going but play cricketing shots. We were reckless and should take full responsibility. At the moment, too many things going in my head. It was an easy chase for us. When I go upstairs, need to keep myself calm and then think about what to say to the boys. Still have to be positive. Half of the tournament is still remaining. Have to address this and move forward,” he concluded.
Coming to the match, PBKS won the toss and opted to bat first. Priyansh Arya (22 in 12 balls, with three fours and a six) and Prabhsimran Singh (30 in 15 balls, with two fours and three sixes) delivered a fiery start to PBKS with a 39-run stand. However, a powerplay spell by Harshit Rana (3/25) and some fantastic fielding from Ramandeep Singh pushed them to 54/4 at the end of the powerplay. Sunil Narine (2/14) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/21) dominated the later stages of the innings, not letting PBKS batters settle, bundling them out for 111 in 15.3 overs.
During the run-chase, PBKS bowlers put up a brilliant fight, with spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (4/28) and Marco Jansen (3/17) delivering spells that turned the match on its head. Despite fighting knocks by Angkrish Raghuvanshi (37 in 28 balls, with five fours and a six) and Andre Russell (17 in 11 balls, with a four and two sixes), KKR was bundled out for 95 in 15.1 overs, losing the match by 16 runs.
PBKS is at the fourth spot, with four wins and two losses, with eight points. KKR is at the sixth spot, with three wins and four losses, giving them six points. (ANI)
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