Image Credit- BCCI
After scoring 235, the Kolkata Knight Riders thrashed the Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday at the Ekana Stadium. After the crushing loss, LSG skipper KL Rahul called it a “poor performance overall” for his team, pointing out that the bowling had cost them the game.
It was the first time a team had scored 200 or more when batting first in seven matches in Lucknow this IPL season. Rahul claimed that KKR scored “20 or 30 runs above par” because his bowlers let them score, feeling that LSG lost their way despite their best efforts to reach the target.
“When you’re chasing a big total, you try to go hard and you end up losing wickets. So just a poor performance overall,” Rahul said at the post-match presentation.
Sunil Narine and Phil Salt got KKR off to another explosive start, helping their side post 70 in the powerplay, the sixth time in 11 games this season that KKR managed those many or more. Rahul said that approach by KKR’s openers “put a lot of pressure” on his “young bowlers”.
“We’ve seen how they have batted. They put a lot of pressure on the opposition, and our young bowlers just couldn’t handle that kind of pressure,” he said. “He [Narine] hit some really, really good shots, and that’s how the IPL is: you’ll come up against some really good players, and that’s when your character is tested. And I think we weren’t up to the mark today.
“Once we come here [to Lucknow], it’s about execution, and we went wrong on that part. Bowlers tried their best. But the sooner you learn, the better it is for our team. We’ve made a couple of mistakes when we’ve come up against batters like Sunil or anyone who is powerful, and is striking over 200 or 250. Someone with that kind of intimidation has put a bit of pressure on our bowlers.”