Follow UsAn all-around performance from Andre Russell powered the Kolkata Knight Riders to a comprehensive 54-run win against the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MCA Stadium in Pune.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, the Knight Riders were propelled to 177 runs in the first innings courtesy of an unbeaten 49 from Russell.
In a post-match interview, Shreyas Iyer was pleased with the performance of the side and said, "The mindset we came up with in this game, it was outstanding. We were going over by over, and the plan was to give Russell the strike as much as possible. We knew Washi had one over left; that was the over we were going to target."
"It was an over-par total. Sunil and Varun stepped-up, they bowled smart and got crucial wickets. We never allowed them to get under our skins, kudos to that," he further added.
The skipper also clarified his comment on the CEO being involved in the team selection and said, "When I took the CEO's name, I wanted to say that he's there to console the players who've been sitting out. It's tough for us as well while picking the team."
On the other hand, Kane Williamson is enduring a season to forget as the Sunrisers have succumbed to their fifth successive defeat denting their chances of qualifying for the playoffs.
"The game teaches us lessons and I am learning it right now," Williamson said on his recent form.
"We have been struggling with creating momentum in the last few games. Sundar stepped up in the last over. Using our resources a little early didn't work for us today.
"We wanted to get off to a good start. There were glimpses and signs but wasn't to be. The run rate got up, and we were not able to pull it back," he concluded.
(With inputs from PTI)