Fortunate to have Gambhir as my captain: Yusuf Pathan

Kolkata, May 4 (IANS): Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Yusuf Pathan, Friday credited skipper Gautam Gambhir for supporting him during his struggles, after the big hitter scored an unbeaten 49 to help his side thrash Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets at the Eden Gardens here.

“I am fortunate to have a skipper like Gambhir. He has been a constant source of support for me and continuously backed me when I was not performing well. He has handled me well,” said Pathan whose highest score for his franchise earned him the man of the match award in Friday’s match.

Pathan also thanked his family, specially mentioning younger brother Irfan, for supporting him when he was going through a lean patch.

The burly batsman, who before the match had scored a meagre 128 runs from 10 innings, expressed happiness at being able to finish the game for his side.

“I am satisfied to have scored runs for my side, especially after being able to finish the game and win it for my team.

“Good to see everyone happy when I score. Today I had a lot of time to bat, which gave me confidence to play well. It was an important match, needed to win it and we did it,” he said.

“I am not bothered that I could not score a fifty today. I am more satisfied with the victory, rather than being disappointed at missing out on a milestone. A 49 for a wining cause is always better scoring big runs but ending up as losers,” he said.

With the Knights registering their fourth win from 11 games to be on seventh on the points table, Pathan hoped the latest victory would turn things around for the holders, who after a string of losses, have a feeble chance to progress to the playoffs.