Saha: 'I was told to play hard in the first six overs'

After winning narrowly in a high-scoring game against Mumbai Indians that helped Kings XI Punjab stay alive in the tournament, Wriddhiman Saha talks about setting up a match-winning total for his team.

Kings XI Punjab rode on Wriddhiman Saha's unbeaten 93 to post 230 runs against Mumbai Indians.

Wriddhiman Saha  epitomised the bold and the brave. Asked to have a go at the Mumbai Indians bowlers in the Powerplay, India’s Test stumper, responded to his team’s order with a spectacular 93 off 55 balls, with 11 fours and three sixes. It was only the seventh time he opened in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match.

"I was batting lower down the order (so far)," said Saha, after the game. "This match, I was told to play hard in the first six overs. I tried that and had a good partnership with (Martin) Guptill. Then Maxi (Glenn Maxwell) came and went on with the momentum. It feels good after performing well in the match."

The Mohali-side needed to win in order not to be eliminated from the tournament and it gave its best shot. "Compared to Test matches, it was not tiring. We batted well, ran well,  and the intensity was on the field was high. It was hectic, but we enjoyed it. The team won and everything is forgotten," said Saha.