Follow UsAnukul Roy was one of the reasons for Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) comeback win against Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 29 (Tuesday) in New Delhi. However, the bowling all-rounder was quick to give credit where due and rated Sunil Narine as the game-changer.
“The match had started drifting towards them — they were batting very positively and scoring right away. It felt like we were under pressure. But then Narine came in, bowled brilliantly, and took two to three wickets back-to-back. That charged us all up and brought us right back into the game," said Anukul.
He was right in the sense that the Capitals were cruising in the chase at 136/3 with their skipper Axar Patel and Faf du Plessis well set at the crease. They had added 72 off 46 balls and needed just 69 more from 41 balls, a very gettable situation in modern-day T20 cricket.
But with the reintroduction of Sunil Narine into the attack, he removed both Axar and du Plessis in a space of seven balls and got the wicket of Tristan Stubbs in between them as well, breaking the back of Delhi’s chase.
Anukul, who got the wicket of Abishek Porel early on and was brilliant with his lengths, admitted that ‘it was a batting wicket’ and therefore he ‘was trying variations like yorkers as well’.
Anukul also gave a major update on his captain Ajinkya Rahane’s injury and recovery timeline.
“It doesn’t seem too serious. He might need two or three days. The doctors will give a clearer picture, but for now, he’s okay. He got a few stitches, but it’s manageable,” said the 26-year-old.
The Jharkhand spin-bowling all-rounder was playing his first game of the season, but revealed that he never let his preparation down and, as a result, got his game 100 percent right at the first attempt.
"Preparation is important. Even if you are not playing, not getting a chance, if you take some rest, then you are out of the game. Whether you are playing a match or not, whether you are training or not, whether you have a mindset or not makes the difference,” he said.