DTVHINDI
The destructive opening pair of Sunil Narine and Phil Salt have been in great form this season. Both of them have scored more than 400 runs together and their strike rate is more than 183. After KKR captain Shreyas Iyer once again lost the toss, KL Rahul invited Kolkata to bat first. Sunil Narine and Phil Salt gave their team another blazing start, adding 61 runs in just 26 balls.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Salt was out after scoring 32 runs in 14 balls, but his fellow opener continued to trouble the Lucknow bowlers. Ultimately, veteran all-rounder Sunil Narine played a brilliant inning of 81 runs in 39 balls with the help of six fours and seven sixes and was out. On the back of excellent batting from the opening pair, KKR scored a total of 235/6, which is the highest score at the Lucknow ground.
After the match, this brilliant opening pair of KKR received a lot of praise from Shreyas Iyer. Shreyas has appreciated the positive mentality of both the batsmen.
Shreyas Iyer gave this statement on the pairing of Sunil and Salt
“Our openers gave a great start. The way he was playing his shots cannot be praised enough. He prepared the stage and rhythm for us. We were playing with a positive mindset.”
“The lefty-righty combination creates problems for the opposition team, so the bowlers have to change their plans and that makes a big difference. It’s all about freedom. They express themselves by going on the field. We want to remain positive on the field, no matter what the situation is. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”
There was a commotion among the players in the KKR dressing room.
With this win, KKR replaced Rajasthan Royals at the top of the points table. After winning their first three matches of the season, KKR lost three of their next five games. However, they have shown great consistency recently and have won their last three games very comfortably. Shreyas Iyer revealed the chaos in the dressing room after losing consecutive toss after the match. He told a funny story-
“There has been a stir in the dressing form in the last six matches. Teammates come and ask what is happening captain. We are continuously losing the toss. But we are winning matches and that is what matters.”
