Kolkata Knight Riders’ star Venkatesh Iyer shared insights into the crucial element of his match-winning partnership with captain Shreyas following their triumph over Royal Challengers Bangalore on Friday. Venkatesh’s remarkable fifty, complemented by Shreyas’ steadfast presence till the end, propelled KKR to their second consecutive victory, elevating them to second place on the points table. The two-time champions’ success was initiated by a strong start provided by Sunil Narine and Phil Salt.
Subsequent to the fall of the openers, Venkatesh and Shreyas took the responsibility of steering the team to victory, achieving a pivotal 75-run partnership that secured KKR’s seven-wicket win.
In an interview with the IPL’s website alongside his skipper, Venkatesh attributed the momentum to Narine’s performance, which alleviated pressure and facilitated their task of finishing the game. He emphasized the significance of effective communication with Shreyas, underscoring its role in their triumph.
“The ball was coming on really well in the evening… Credit goes to Sunil Narine whose runs took the pressure off us. We just had to finish the formalities. With a platform like that, you have to maximise,” Iyer said.
The all-rounder also said that his communication with Shreyas was brilliant and it helped them secure the win.
It was important for me to carry on the momentum. We have always talked about taking the momentum through, get a platform and then banking on it. That’s what Narine did. He gave us an amazing start and all I had to do was go on and capitalise on that. When you came in, I thought the communication amongst us was amazing. Which bowler to take on, which end to look for shots and that really helped us,” said Venkatesh.
Reflecting on the decision to utilize Narine as an opener, KKR’s captain Shreyas acknowledged the uncertainty initially but expressed satisfaction with the outcome, lauding Narine’s ability to deliver outstanding performances.
“See Narine when he comes in, he has one job, that is to clear the outfield and get maximum runs. Today (Friday) was a phenomenal example. We were contemplating today whether to open with him or not, but this was great.” Shreyas said.
Captain Shreyas also added that the Knights are now “enjoying each other’s success” after two wins in two games. KKR will now travel to Vizag to face the Delhi Capitals on April 3.
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