KKR captain Rahane praises batting unit after victory over SRH
What's the story
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane was pleased with his team's performance after they thrashed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 80 runs in their latest outing.
The win was a much-needed turnaround for KKR, who had suffered a batting collapse in Mumbai.
Against SRH, KKR set a daunting target of 201 runs and registered their second win of the season.
Strategy
Rahane emphasizes importance of strategic play
In the post-match presentation, Rahane underscored the importance of their win and stressed on winning by a big margin.
He said that despite losing two wickets early on, his team had to consolidate till the sixth over and play with intent while playing smart cricketing shots.
"This game was really important for us. Winning by a big margin was crucial," he said.
Batting praise
Rahane praises batting unit's performance
Rahane said he was happy with his batting unit, adding they learned from their previous mistakes and took them as an example for the upcoming games.
He also spoke about the 81-run partnership he built with Angkrish Raghuvanshi (50 off 32 balls) after KKR lost early wickets.
Rahane said their plan was to play safe cricket till the 15th over and then up their run-rate.
"Happy with the batting unit," he said.
Match
Late surge from Iyer and Rinku lifts KKR to 200
Rahane scored 38 runs from 27 balls, while Raghuvanshi scored a brisk half-century off just 32 balls.
Venkatesh Iyer and Rinku Singh stepped up in the final overs, scoring quickly against Simarjeet Singh, Pat Cummins, and Harshal Patel.
The two added a stand of 91 runs for the 5th wicket. Iyer hit a 29-ball 60 whereas Rinku remained unbeaten on 32 from 17 balls.
SRH were folded for 120 in response.
Bowling praise
Rahane commends team's bowling performance
Apart from the batting unit, Rahane also praised his team's bowling effort in their recent win.
Although Moeen Ali couldn't bowl in this match, Rahane lauded Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy for their brilliant bowling.
He also credited Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana for their major contributions in clinching the win against SRH.