Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Shreyas Iyer spoke about the victory his team registered over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He admitted that he had butterflies in his stomach from the 17th position, but I trusted Harshit Rana.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are underway in IPL 2024 as they registered a 4-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. It was a thrilling moment that spread across the wire and saw Shreyas Iyer’s army win the game by a slim margin.
After KKR scored a total of 208 runs on the board, they also had the game in their hands with the ball. Until the 17th, they seemed favorites to win the game and the victory predictor gave them a 99% chance. However, there was a huge twist in the story when Heinrich Klaasen turned the game on its head.
The batter went crazy and brought out his beast mode. Klaasen scored 63 runs off 29 balls and took the game to the last over. With 13 runs needed in the last over, the batsman hit six off the first ball. But Harshit Rana held his nerve and defended the goal to win the match for his team.
Shreyas Iyer mentioned that Harshit Rana was nervous but told him to back himself as it could be a career-changing moment for him. Speaking to broadcasters after the game, he explained:
“From the 17th onwards I felt butterflies in my stomach. I felt like anything could happen in the last over. They needed 13 runs and we didn’t have the most experienced bowler. But I believed in him and told him to back himself and that it doesn’t matter what happens.
“I was a little nervous coming in, and I just looked him in the eyes and said ‘This is your moment, buddy.’ “I told him to back himself and that it doesn’t matter what happens in the game.”
Great to have around: Shreyas Iyer on Andre Russell and Sunil Narine
Andre Russell and Sunil Narine were the two key players in Shreyas Iyer’s team in the match against SRH. While Russell scored 63* runs and picked two wickets, Narine returned with figures of 1/19 in his four overs.
Shreyas Iyer was amazed by the performances of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine and said that it is great for the team to have them. Although he acknowledged the victory, he admitted that his team needs to work on some things in the game. He added:
“(About Russell and Narine) They have a lot of experience. It’s great to see Andre perform with bat and ball, and even Sunny (Narine) was splendid with the ball. Great to have them around. It always motivates you when you start with a victory.
“This game also gives us many lessons, there is a lot that we will learn from this field. I think the field is an area in which we must improve. There was so much noise out there that it was difficult to signal to the other players from deep.”
Shreyas Iyer will next be seen in action when Kolkata Knight Riders take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Friday (March 29).