After Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) narrow 2-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer shared his thoughts on the game. He expressed how emotions were high during the last moments of the match, admitting that they hadn’t anticipated such a close contest.
“It’s tough to explain what happened. Emotions were up and down. We didn’t expect to be in this situation. It’s a strange game. [Rovman] Powell was playing well. It’s hard to put into words what happened. We just have to accept it and move forward. In these situations, you have to deliver your best deliveries. A slight mistake and you’re out of the ground,” Shreyas stated.
Reflecting on the loss, Shreyas mentioned that they would analyze their performance and return stronger in the tournament.
He also praised Sunil Narine, calling him a valuable asset to the KKR team. Narine’s contribution with both bat and ball was crucial in the match.
“I’m glad this happened early in the tournament. We need to reflect on it and come back stronger. Narine is a great asset to our team. He consistently performs well whenever he gets the opportunity to bat. His character is commendable, and we’re fortunate to have him on our team,” Shreyas added.
Regarding the decision to give the final over to Varun Chakravarthy against Jos Buttler, Shreyas explained that they opted for a change of pace to counter Buttler’s aggressive batting. Despite Chakravarthy’s clean hitting, Buttler’s onslaught proved too much for KKR to handle.
Looking ahead, Shreyas emphasized the importance of learning from their mistakes and regrouping quickly for their upcoming matches.
In the match, KKR posted a formidable total of 223/6, with notable contributions from Narine, Raghuvanshi, and Singh. However, RR successfully chased down the target, led by Buttler’s brilliant century.
With this result, RR currently leads the IPL standings with 12 points, while KKR occupies the second spot with 8 points.