KOLKATA: It was almost as if Gautam Gambhir had anticipated the barrage of bouncers that would be hurled at him by the media after the heart-breaking last-over loss to Mumbai Indians, which cost Kolkata Knight Riders a top-2 finish in IPL 4.
The KKR captain wasted no time in going on to the front foot and dispatching all of those with disdain.
Sample a few exchanges.
Despite Sunday's defeat, you would be going into the playoffs with heads held high?
"Nothing has happened for which we have to keep our heads down."
Was it a mistake giving Balaji the final over?
"Who would you have given the ball to? I have a lot of faith in Bala, that's why I gave him the final over. Nine times out of 10, in such a situation when 21 are needed in the last over, he would do the job for us. It was one of those days."
Do you think you were about 10 runs short?
"We had a very good total on board... It was more than a par score at Eden."
What positives will you take into the playoffs?
"Everything we take are positives, except the last over. When you are among the four top teams among team, there must be more positives than negatives."
There were some questions that didn't irritate him, like how he rated James Franklin's and Ambati Rayudu's heroics.
"They are quality players... This is such a format that if you don't get things right, you will be punished."
Looking ahead to Thursday's Eliminator, which will again pit KKR against MI, Gambhir said: "The playoffs will be a different ball-game, there will be pressure on both sides as defeat will send them out. Today on the other hand, they (MI) had nothing to lose, while we had to win to clinch a top-2 slot," said the angry man of Indian cricket.
Asked if would be possible for KKR to bounce back from a demoralising defeat like Sunday's, Gambhir was practical. "We have to do things the hard way. But we know they are beatable, if we play good cricket."
toi
The KKR captain wasted no time in going on to the front foot and dispatching all of those with disdain.
Sample a few exchanges.
Despite Sunday's defeat, you would be going into the playoffs with heads held high?
"Nothing has happened for which we have to keep our heads down."
Was it a mistake giving Balaji the final over?
"Who would you have given the ball to? I have a lot of faith in Bala, that's why I gave him the final over. Nine times out of 10, in such a situation when 21 are needed in the last over, he would do the job for us. It was one of those days."
Do you think you were about 10 runs short?
"We had a very good total on board... It was more than a par score at Eden."
What positives will you take into the playoffs?
"Everything we take are positives, except the last over. When you are among the four top teams among team, there must be more positives than negatives."
There were some questions that didn't irritate him, like how he rated James Franklin's and Ambati Rayudu's heroics.
"They are quality players... This is such a format that if you don't get things right, you will be punished."
Looking ahead to Thursday's Eliminator, which will again pit KKR against MI, Gambhir said: "The playoffs will be a different ball-game, there will be pressure on both sides as defeat will send them out. Today on the other hand, they (MI) had nothing to lose, while we had to win to clinch a top-2 slot," said the angry man of Indian cricket.
Asked if would be possible for KKR to bounce back from a demoralising defeat like Sunday's, Gambhir was practical. "We have to do things the hard way. But we know they are beatable, if we play good cricket."
toi
No comments:
Post a Comment