Kolkata Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer admitted that they were clueless about what to do after Delhi Capitals got off to a quickfire start against them at the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai on Sunday.
DC openers Prithvi Shaw and David Warner gave a perfect start to their team as they added 93 runs off just 52 balls.
Shaw was the aggressor as he scored 51 runs off just 29 balls whereas Warner also got back in form as he smashed 61 runs off just 45 balls. Delhi Capitals openers were able to add 68 runs in the powerplay overs and KKR bowlers had no idea how to put a lid on the scoring rate.
After an impressive start, DC was able to post an above-par score of 216 runs, which is the highest total in this season of the tournament.
Shaw and Warner took the attack on the opposition from the word go and it was always going to be difficult for KKR to control the scoring rate as it was a belter of a pitch. Furthermore, the left and right-hand batting combination made it more difficult for KKR bowlers.
Shreyas Iyer said in the post-match presentation, “They got off to a very good start right from the first over. Prithvi took on the bowlers. To be honest we were clueless about what to do at that point. The wicket was playing really well. They built a good partnership at the start and carried the momentum. Really looked like a good batting pitch. Three games we’ve won chasing just didn’t work out today. The positives we can take – the intent we showed. Even though we didn’t get off to a great start, in the middle phase we played out really well from 7 to 15 overs. After that, we wanted to continue with the run rate of 12rpo. It’s not a difficult thing to do as a batsman but if you pace out the innings well, especially in the middle overs, it’s something we can take forward.”
On the other hand, David Warner was delighted after he scored a fine knock of 61 runs for DC. Warner added that it is great to watch Prithvi Shaw from the other end as he is a treat to the eyes when he gets going.
Warner said after the game, “Felt pretty good. Was a nice wicket. Kind of slowed up towards the end. Both teams nailed the execution. Slower balls into the wicket quite tough to hit. He’s great to watch. Being at the other end makes your job easy when someone does that. In this format, two opening batters never really go off at the same time. I’m happy to take the back seat, have probably done that for a few years now. Loving my time here.”
Delhi Capitals registered a comprehensive win of 44 runs and a lot of credit goes to Warner and Shaw for providing a great start. DC will next take on Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.
