IPL 2017 – Its Important For Us To Win Games – Zaheer Khan
May 13, 2017 at 12:24 AM
It seems profusely hard to fathom the fact that Zaheer Khan has indeed called it quits from international cricket for a while! The legendary pacer was at his supreme best against the Rising Pune Supergiant at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, as he bowled a match winning spell while defending a moderate target of 169. His spell which included the prized scalp of Ajinkya Rahane right on the very first delivery, set the tone for the Delhi bowlers.
Pune however, got well in control of the chase once Steven Smith was going all guns blazing. It needed some clever bowling from left arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem to outfox Smith as once he was gone, the hosts seemed upbeat. Some sheer magic in the outfield from Mohammad Shami saw MS Dhoni being caught napping as a direct hit ended his innings. Ultimately, the Daredevils won by 7 runs to keep Pune’s campaign in jeopardy.
Post the win, skipper Zaheer Khan mentioned the need of winning games. “Winning always makes you feel good,” Khan said. “Even though it’s late in the tournament, it’s important for us to win games. This was a different kind of wicket. It was slowing down a bit. We were always aiming 170, 180. We always knew spinners will be in play right through. All in all a good performance.”
“The games we have lost, we were always in those games. There are other things to look at and plan for the next season. The length which I hit was perfect and there was a bit of shape. Rahane committed to the shot and I got the wicket.”
Karun Nair was named the Man of the Match, and he was delighted with his contribution. “After we lost the first two wickets, I just had to play the 20 overs. I played normal cricketing shots. The wicket was stopping a bit when they hit it hard, but otherwise was a good wicket. In most games we have been able to contribute,” said Nair.