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Rinku is ideal package to have in any format for any team: Nayar

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Last updated on 15 May 2023 | 05:32 AM
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Rinku is ideal package to have in any format for any team: Nayar

The southpaw scored 54 off 43 deliveries to help Kolkata Knight Riders record a six-wicket win against Chennai and stay alive in the competition

Kolkata Knight Riders produced a dominant performance in an evening encounter against Chennai Super Kings to record a six-wicket win at the MA Chidambaram Stadium to keep their playoff hopes alive this season. 

After being asked to field first, the Knight Riders spun a web around the home team, with Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine scalping two wickets each to restrict Chennai to 144/6 in their 20 overs. 

In the post-match press conference, Abhishek Nayar shared insights on the preparations for the team ahead of the season and the improved performance of Chakaravarthy in this edition. 

"After last season, we discussed quite a bit about what we thought went wrong. I think when you play season after season, teams tend to target you differently. One of the things we tried to do throughout the off-season and throughout the season was to understand the challenges we were going to face," he said. 

"There is a stark difference in terms of how he's using his deliveries, using the one that goes away a lot more than he was doing last year. A lot of work went in not only tactically and technically but also understanding his mindset."

"When he did not have a great last season, there were areas the teams constantly hit him. He has been challenged, but a lot of the hard work he has put in at the academy over the whole season has helped him this season," he further added. 

The Assistant Coach of the side also heaped praises on veteran spinner Narine for bouncing back after some lukewarm performances and returning with figures of 2/15 in his four overs. 

"The beauty about Sunil Narine is that he doesn't talk a lot. He understands his skills and understands that playing for so many years, he knows what went wrong. The conversations are more about his preparations for the upcoming game and the speeds he is bowling at," Nayar said. 

"The experience and the calibre of Sunil Narine is that you always expect him to come back. We always believed that he would come back, and it was just about time when he does more than anything," he further added. 

In reply, Knight Riders lost three wickets to Deepak Chahar in the powerplay and were reeling at 33 for three when Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh joined forces. 

The duo added 99 runs for the fourth wicket and smashed half-centuries en route to that partnership that helped the team get over the line comfortably. 

The 39-year-old highlighted the importance of domestic cricket in crediting the recent success of Rinku Singh and said, "Rinku Singh has always been a great player of spin. If you look back at his first-class season, Rinku Singh is one name that will come across as one of those three-four people who have been successful over the past two-three seasons."

"He has always been someone who has done that for UP in domestic cricket in different situations. He knows how to play in these conditions, and domestic cricket gives you one of the most challenging pitches. He has been through the grind, and I am so happy to see him achieve success like that."

"He is a very grounded and hardworking person, and I think it's just the beginning and the tip of the iceberg in terms of what he is gonna achieve going forward because he is a level-headed, hardworking who wants to evolve as a cricketer and he is the ideal package to have in any format for any team," Nayar concluded. 

Kolkata Knight Riders will now face Lucknow Super Giants in an evening encounter on Saturday, May 20, at the Eden Gardens. 

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