Shreyas Iyer heaps praise on prolific Salt-Narine pair. KKR jumped to the top of the points table after beating LSG comprehensively on May 5 following a stunning all-round performance.
Sunil Narine and Phil Salt set up another spectacular triumph for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, as the former two-time winners defeated Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 98 runs on Sunday, May 5, at Lucknow’s BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium.
The destructive opening pair of Narine and Salt have been in scintillating form this season. Both of them have amassed over 400 runs each and have strike rates of over 183. After KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer lost the toss yet again, KL Rahul invited the visitors to bat first. Narine and Salt got their team off to another blistering start, as they added 61 runs off just 26 balls. The wicketkeeper-batter departed for a quickfire 32 off 14 balls but his fellow opener continued tormenting the Lucknow bowlers. Eventually, the veteran all-rounder departed for an awe-inspiring 81 off 39 balls, hitting six fours and seven sixes. On the back of the opening duo’s heroics, KKR posted a total of 235/6, the highest on the ground in the shortest format of the game.
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Shreyas heaped admiration on KKR’s dominant opening combination following the match, praising their positive attitude in all situations.
“They have been fantastic for us; the way they play their shots is pure joy. They are preparing us and giving us momentum, and no matter what the circumstance is, we are playing with a positive attitude,” Shreyas stated during the post-match presentation ceremony.
“A lefty-righty combination makes things difficult for the opposition; bowlers have to adjust their strategies, which makes a difference. It is all about the freedom to go out and express oneself. We want to go out there and be positive no matter what happens; sometimes it doesn’t work out, but occasionally it does,” he said.
Lucknow responded with a solid 50-run partnership from KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis, but after that, it was all one-way traffic for the Knight Riders, who bowled the home side for 137. Varun Chakaravarthy and Harshit Rana shined with the ball, taking three wickets each.
With this victory, KKR displaced the Rajasthan Royals from the top of the table. After winning their first three games of the season, the Knights dropped three of their next five. They have, however, shown remarkable consistency in recent games, winning their last three with ease. Shreyas addressed the franchise’s topsy-turvy campaign.
“In the last six matches, there has been havoc in the dressing room; teammates have come in and asked Skip what is going on! We’re losing tosses, but we’re winning games, and that’s what counts,” Shreyas said.
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