IPL 2014: I've not seen this kind of cricket - Gautam Gambhir

 

Skipper Gautam Gambhir was shocked at his team’s abject collapse

The match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals that took place on Monday was one that redefined unpredictability and drama in the game of cricket.

Chasing a target of 170, KKR were comfortably placed with 121 without loss till about the 14th over when things began to change dramatically. KKR lost an unbelievable 6 wickets for 2 runs in a span of just 8 deliveries, and the match turned on its head. Pravin Tambe picked the first hat-trick of this season and KKR fell short of the target by 10 runs.

After the match, a shocked and disappointed Gautam Gambhir said, “It is a bitter pill to swallow. We were cruising at one stage, 120 odd for no loss. I’ve not seen this kind of cricket but we’ve got to move on.”

“8 games to go and hopefully we can turn it around. Apart from Sunil and Shakib none of the guys are putting their hands up,” a hopeful Gambhir added.

The skipper however expressed happiness over the strong opening partnership of his team. “Our opening partnership was a huge positive,” he said.

On the other hand, RR skipper, Shane Watson had something to smile about. He had both, luck and team’s performance on his side. “Look it is nice to win close games. We have wicket-taking bowlers. PT (Pravin Tambe) just keeps going and going. He gets world class batsmen out and at crucial times. He has been incredible, he makes my job easier. Bhatia complemented him well. Tewatia bowled nicely in his first game as well. It was nice on my part to make an impact with the ball.”

The star of the match, Pravin Tambe was quite understandably pleased with his performance of a 2-ball hat-trick [watch the RARE Pravin Tambe hat-trick] that helped Rajasthan get back into the game.

“I will never forget this performance. Yes, this is the first time I am getting a hat-trick. When you are bowling at this level, you need to mix things up and be energetic on the field. I really enjoyed bowling today,” Tambe said.