After making the unexpected choice to bowl the first over against Rajasthan Royals (RR) and giving up 26 runs, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Nitish Rana was defended by the team’s batsman Venkatesh Iyer. If Rana had claimed a wicket, his action would have been regarded as a masterstroke, according to Iyer.
Part-time off-spinner Rana chose to start the bowling against RR at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, May 11, to defend a score of 149. Yashavi Jaiswal hit him for two sixes and three fours to set the mood for Rajasthan’s chase.
Jaiswal capitalised on his strong start, hitting an unbeaten 98 off 47 balls to help RR reach the target in 13.1 overs with nine wickets in hand.
In a post-match press conference, Iyer said:
“We all know what Nitish is capable of with the ball in hand. He has picked up crucial wickets in his career. With a left-hander on the crease, I don’t think an offie is a wrong option. Unfortunately, it didn’t go in our favor. Had he picked up a wicket, it would have been a masterstroke. Anyway, these things happen on the field.”
Iyer indicated that the wicket was sluggish and that they thought the new ball may provide some spin. He stated:
“The wicket was a little bit on the slower side. We wanted to exploit the spin with the newer ball. If the new ball starts turning, then it becomes very difficult for the batter. It didn’t and we are talking post-game [because] it did not work out.
“I think Nitish is an unbelievable bowler. He has picked wickets with economical bowling. One bad game won’t make him a bad bowler.”
None of KKR’s bowlers took a wicket against RR. The only Rajasthan batter who got dismissed was Jos Buttler, who was run-out for a duck by a direct hit from Andre Russell.
“I would take responsibility of playing a lot of dot balls” – Venkatesh Iyer
Earlier in the game, Iyer top-scored for KKR with 57. He took 42 balls to get the runs, hitting two fours and four sixes. He accepted responsibility for failing to score at a faster rate.
Reflecting on his performance, he stated:
“That pitch was not very easy to bat. We slowed down just a little bit. I would take responsibility of playing a lot of dot balls there. I should have rotated more and I think that little phase was owned by Rajasthan. I think we made a good comeback in the game, but at the end of the day it did not matter.”
While Iyer hit a half-century, Rana’s 22 was the next highest score in KKR’s innings, which ended in a dismal 149/8.