Kolkata, May 24 (PTI): Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane on Sunday hailed his side’s resilience in bouncing back from a poor first half of the IPL season, while Delhi Capitals spinner Kuldeep Yadav admitted he had to revisit the basics with his childhood coach after an underwhelming campaign.
Despite failing to make the playoffs, Rahane said KKR showed “character and resilience” to stay alive in the tournament after a difficult start to the season. DC won the match against KKR by 40 runs here on Sunday.
“The situation we were in after six games and then from there coming back, keeping the league alive and playing that kind of cricket needed character, a good attitude and resilience,” Rahane said.
“I’m really proud of each and every individual. This season didn’t go our way and we didn’t qualify, which is disappointing, but I’m really proud of everyone and the kind of effort we put in.” Rahane also reflected on his own innings, saying the sluggish nature of the pitch forced him to balance strike rotation with selective aggression.
“The wicket was a little tricky at the start. I was batting really well and knew one batter had to go through, so I tried to take my chances. I was actually looking to target strike rotation as well,” he said.
The KKR captain said the side would regroup after the season following a short break, while he personally plans to return to club cricket in Mumbai.
“For me, just a couple of days off. I’m going to play my local league in Mumbai, which I’m really looking forward to. I’m happy as long as I’m playing cricket,” he added.
Player of the Match Kuldeep said technical flaws in his action had affected his consistency this season before corrective work with his coach helped him rediscover rhythm.
“To be very honest, I thought I didn’t have a great season because I was expecting more from myself but couldn’t deliver,” Kuldeep said.
“After the last game, I went back home and worked with my coach on the things I needed to improve. It was just the small things you forget very quickly, especially in white-ball cricket.” Kuldeep revealed he had been bowling “open-chested” and not using his body effectively, making it easier for batters to attack him.
“Once you start using more of your body and try to spin the ball harder, ultimately you see the results. You get the dip and the drift and obviously you can vary the pace as well,” he explained.
He said varying pace on a slow wicket and trying to deceive batters worked perfectly, citing the dismissal of Rinku Singh as an example.
“The wicket of Rinku was a perfect example because I tried to slow it down through the air and he played it straight away, so it was a good ball to get him out,” he said.
Delhi Capitals skipper Axar Patel, meanwhile, praised his team’s fighting spirit despite falling short in the playoff race and stressed the importance of staying calm under pressure as a captain.
“Even when things were not going well, the way the team fought after that, I am very proud. No one thought that we would just give up and think we are already out,” Axar said.
Speaking about his leadership lessons, Axar said maintaining composure was crucial in a tournament as intense as the IPL.
“If you are not in a good frame of mind, then you can take wrong decisions or get frustrated. I think it is very important to stay calm,” he said.
Axar also backed Sunrisers Hyderabad as the strongest among the playoff-bound teams.
“When their top three score runs, that team becomes very difficult to stop,” he added. PTI AH AH PDS
(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)
