Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 17 (ANI): After playing a match-winning knock of 107 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Jos Buttler said that he was struggling to find rhythm while batting.
Buttler scored 107 runs from 60 balls at a strike rate of 178.33 and helped the Rajasthan-based franchise clinch a 2-wicket win over KKR.
While speaking at the post-match presentation, Buttler said that he tried to stay on the crease till the end to finish the match like MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli have done. He added that the 2-wicket win over KKR was “very satisfying.”
“Keep believing, that was the real key today. I was struggling a bit for rhythm. At times, you feel frustrated or you are questioning yourself. I tell myself it’s okay, keep going, you’ll get your rhythm back; and try to stay calm. There’s been plenty of times throughout the IPL, you’ve seen crazy things happen. Guys like Dhoni and Kohli, the way they stay till the end and keep believing and I tried to do the same. That’s something Sangakkara has told me a lot–there’s always a breaking point. The worst thing you can do is not fight and give your wicket away. He just tells me to stay there and at some point, the momentum will change. That’s been a big part of my play over the last few years. (Greatest IPL innings?) I would think so. Very satisfying,” Buttler said.
Recapping the match, Sanju Samson-led RR won the toss and decided to field first. Meanwhile, Narine (109), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (30), and Rinku Singh (20*) powered KKR to 223/6.
Avesh Khan and Kuldeep Sen bagged two wickets each in their respective spells to lead the RR bowling attack. On the other hand, Boult and Chahal picked up one wicket each.
During the run chase, Buttler (107) played a match-winning knock to chase down the 224-run target. He slammed 9 fours and 6 sixes in the second inning. Apart from Buttler, Parag (34) and Powell (26) also helped the Rajasthan-based franchise clinch a 2-wicket win over KKR.
The Knights’ bowling unit displayed a sloppy performance as they gifted plenty of runs in the second inning. However, Rana, Narine, and Chakaravarthy picked up two wickets each in their respective spells.
After the end of the match, RR held the top of the table with 12 points. KKR stands in second place in the standings with 8 points. (ANI)
