'We Were Seven Down But...', Nitish Rana Speaks About His Side's Revival
KKR spinners bamboozled RCB batters with their spin (IPLT20.com)
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) achieved a resounding 81-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Match 9 of IPL 2023 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. After narrowly losing their first game against Punjab, the two-time IPL champions bounced back in style to get off the mark on the points table.
After the match, KKR skipper Nitish Rana spoke highly of the team's collective efforts and their unrelenting spirit. The southpaw commended the team's fighting spirit, pointing out the positives from the previous game where KKR fought back despite being seven wickets down. He praised Rahmanullah Gurbaz's explosive innings at the top of the order and Shardul Thakur's match-turning performance.
“In the previous match, there were a lot of positives. We were seven down but still we fought. Today we showed great fight. Gurbaz played a brilliant knock at the top of the order and Thakur changed the complexion of the game,”
The bowlers also earned recognition from the KKR captain, with Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee's decent opening spell and the spinners' commendable performance in taking wickets regularly. Rana singled out Suyash Sharma, who made his debut in the IPL and bowled with great confidence, taking three wickets.
“Umesh and Southee started decently with the ball. Then, our spinners bowled really well. Taking wickets regularly was great for us. Suyash is a confident young man and he has belief in himself. He made his chance count and it was great to see him bowl that way."
Meanwhile, earlier in the game, RCB's decision to field first after winning the toss put KKR in a tight spot, as they found themselves at 89/5. However, it was Thakur's impressive knock of 68 off 29 balls that provided a much-needed impetus to KKR's innings, as they finished with a mammoth total of 204/7.
In their chase, RCB got off to a decent start with Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis at the crease, but the former's dismissal at the hands of Sunil Narine led to a downfall. Despite the pitch offering turn and grip, RCB's batting display was below par, with several of their players throwing away their wickets to poor shots. The KKR spinners capitalized on this, taking 9 of the 10 wickets to fall as RCB were bundled out for a meager total of 123.
KKR's convincing victory was a result of Thakur's impressive batting display, combined with a stunning bowling effort led by their spinners. RCB, on the other hand, will have to rethink their strategy and come back stronger in the upcoming matches.
 "Jatin")
