Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Shakib al Hasan, showed his dismay over the loss and stated that his team could not have done much as RCB batted well. “The quality they have, I don’t think we could have done much. We tried everything but they played better cricket. “We had plans for every single batsman but if plans worked always, no batsman will score runs. Bowlers try to execute, the fielders try to back them but the batsmen find a way. They batted really well.” Shakib told.
Shakib expressed his disappointment at not getting ‘home advantage’ this season as they are a spin-dependent team. Usually, Eden track offers plenty of spins as KKR got against Rising Pune Supergiants. But, last night that was missing.
“We always expect the track to spin but that hasn’t happened yet so far. It’s disappointing but there’s no point blaming the pitch. We haven’t done well at home this time. It was a very good wicket to bat on. There was a bit of turn but only when you bowled slowly. There wasn’t much for the spinners”, said Shakib after their 9-wicket loss to RCB.
The loss dents Knight Riders’ chances of finishing in top 2 as they now need to win both their remaining clashes against Gujarat Lions and Sunrisers Hyderabad to have two chances of making it to this year’s finals. Speaking on the importance of finishing on top, Shakib said, “We all know that finishing in the top 2 helps a lot. If you finish third or fourth, it’s a little difficult. Every match is important. Today’s loss is, of course, a setback but we have enough quality to come back.”