IPL 2021: Batting was the letdown, says KKR captain Morgan
KKR, which lost by 20 runs after scoring 200 in the same venue against Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday, could only manage 133 for nine batting first against the Royals.
Published : Apr 24, 2021 23:56 IST
Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Eoin Morgan bemoaned the team's poor effort with the bat in the six-wicket defeat to Rajasthan Royals in an IPL game at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.
"The batting was the letdown and we lacked a lot of intent throughout the whole innings," said Morgan. "We were behind the eight ball right from the get-go. Possibly, we were 40 [runs] short which is a lot in a T20 game. The bowlers had too much to do."
KKR, which lost by 20 runs after scoring 200 in the same venue against Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday, could only manage 133 for nine batting first against the Royals.
"It's a stark contrast to the last game. The wicket hasn't been as good as it has been in the previous games and we couldn't overcome the challenge. Every time we tried taking an attacking option, we lost a wicket.
"It left us with a lot to do, which we couldn't do. The clearer the mind, the easier it is. Ultimately, one guy needs to play free-flowing cricket. Two sides struggling to gain momentum in the tournament and we missed big two points," said the Englishman.
Royals skipper Sanju Samson lauded the collective bowling effort to restrict KKR.
"It was brilliant actually. The bowlers have been doing well in the last four-five matches - the youngsters as well as the seniors. I enjoy captaining them. I think we could see in [Chris] Morris' eyes that he wanted the competition to get big batsmen out," said Samson.
After a string of low scores, Samson finished unbeaten on 42 to see out the win during the chase.
"My thought process is actually I don't come with a mindset. I just love to keep enjoying my batting, but nowadays I play according to a situation and try to win games for my team," said the 26-year-old.
On Chetan Sakariya, Samson said, "He's a very different kind of a person and chilled-out person. It's a very positive thing for Rajasthan Royals. He's ready to play this tournament and big matches. Hopefully, he'll win more matches for us in the future."