"Good captaincy from Nitish Rana for giving the ball to Varun Chakravarthy" - Harbhajan Singh hails KKR stars after thrilling win vs SRH
Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was impressed with the way the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) defended their 172-run total against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Thursday, May 4.
The Sunrisers couldn't chase down 38 runs from the final 30 deliveries, thanks to some sensational death bowling from KKR, particularly from Varun Chakravarthy. The Tamil Nadu man ended the game with outstanding figures of 1/20 from his four overs.
Skipper Nitish Rana decided to use Chakravarthy towards the backend of the innings. While that raised a few eyebrows at the beginning, it proved to be a masterstroke.
Speaking to Star Sports after the game, Harbhajan Singh heaped praise on both Rana and Varun Chakravarthy for triggering SRH's unexpected collapse. He said:
"Varun Chakravarthy bowled tight lines all along the death overs against SRH. He changed his angle and showed confidence in the final over to defend eight runs. It was good captaincy from Nitish Rana as well for giving the ball to Varun."
Mohammad Kaif lauds KKR's 'special player' Rinku Singh
Rinku Singh continued to grow in stature with yet another crucial innings against SRH.
The southpaw scored 46 off 35 balls and while wickets tumbled from one end, he tried to bat deep and ensured that KKR got to a respectable total. He also stitched together a crucial 61-run partnership with skipper Nitish Rana.
Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif was also present in the discussion on Star Sports alongside Harbhajan Singh. He shed light on just how well Rinku rotated the strike and picked his moments to go for the big shot and stated:
"Rinku Singh has been showing a lot of maturity with his performances. His footwork is very good, he looks confident every time he walks in the middle. He knows how to convert his form into good knocks and also knows when to shift gears.
"He keeps rotating the strike early on and later plays his shots. Rinku is capable of hitting big shots as well and this quality makes him a special player."
KKR have reached a stage in the tournament where another loss could possibly end their hopes of reaching the playoffs. They will take great heart from the win against SRH and will want to build on the momentum.
Next up, the Knight Riders side will take on the Punjab Kings at Eden Gardens on May 8.