Extremely proud of the fight we have shown, says KKR captain Morgan

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Eoin Morgan hailed his team's performances in the second leg of the IPL 2021 for turning things around despite losing Friday's final against Chennai Super Kings.

"We are extremely proud of the fight we have shown. The character and fight is trademark," Morgan said in the post-match presentation.

Chasing 193 in the summit clash, KKR openers Venkatesh Iyer (50) and Shubman Gill (51) put up 91 for the first wicket. However, the middle-order faltered as the two-time champions lost the match by 27 runs. Morgan described the pair as the cornerstone of the team's batting. 

"Guys fought incredibly hard and performed. Iyer and Gill have been outstanding. Venkatesh is new to this platform. They have been the cornerstone of our batting. Tripathi left everything out there today. Unfortunately, he picked up an injury."

KKR head coach Brendon McCullum gave a grim assessment of the final performance, but was proud of the journey young Indian players had made in the season.

"Just an amazing journey, and some things we can remember for a long time. When you fall at final hurdle, there is always a sense of what if. The way the guys stepped up and performed - particularly the young Indian guys," the former New Zealand skipper said.