IPL 2014: Momentum is very important, says Kings XI captain George Bailey
In a face-off between the table toppers Kings XI Punjab and wooden spoon contenders Delhi Daredevils, the team at the top survived a scare from leg-spinner Imran Tahir, who picked up 3 wickets, to stay 2 points clear of Chennai Super Kings in the points table.
It was a closely contested match that witnessed the unexpected hero in Akshar Patel who also won the Man-of-the-Match award for his economical spell of 1-18 and a very valuable 42 with the bat.
"I think what you get from winning is confidence and self belief. They are really two important things in this format of the game," Bailey said at the post-match press conference, stressing how important is this victory for them.
"Momentum is certainly very important. Having said that once you get to the finals, it cancels everything. You start from the scratch," he added.
The Kings XI Punjab captain warned the team to not lose focus and stay consistent at the important phase of the tournament.
"Every game is still very important. We are still trying to improve as individuals and as a team. Play-off is one little obstacle or goal that we have completed. But this is the time when you want to play your best cricket, make sure you are peaking. So from now on there is certainly no taking away our foot from the accelerator," the skipper said.
The 31-year old credited the performances of the young Indian players for their valuable contributions in the four-wicket win against the wounded Delhi Daredevils. Sandeep Sharma made a good comeback after getting hammered in the last outing, and Rishi Dhawan batted calmly in the final over to ensure the win.
Manan Vohra, who was held back till the last game, took off from where he left against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
"Really proud of the way Akshay batted, he was outstanding. I think all the young guys stood up. Manan (Vohra) at the stop gave us a fantastic start. Rishi (Dhawan) at the end kept his head. I am very proud of the way our young guys have performed," Bailey said.
"Akshay and Sandeep's (Sharma) last overs with the ball were outstanding. We really saw good execution of skills under pressure,” the Australian concluded.