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'Washington Sundar has been on point, the way he has been bowling in the Powerplay, that has been amazing.'
Royal Challengers Bangalore's opening batsman Devdutt Padikkal hailed the efforts of spinners Washington Sundar and Yuzvendra Chahal, who he says have played their roles to perfection to help their team put in some consistent performances in this year's IPL.
On Monday, RCB thrashed Kolkata Knight Riders by 82 runs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Set 195 for victory, the Dinesh Karthik-led KKR finished on a disappointing 112/9 with Chris Morris and Washington Sundar claiming two wickets each.
"It has been important for us that our spinners take wickets at crucial times. It is not just that they are controlling the runs, they have been taking wickets at crucial situations. Washington Sundar has been on point, the way he has been bowling in the Powerplay, that has been amazing," Padikkal told Aaron Finch in a video posted on iplt20.com.
Sundar has done his job to perfection of keeping things tight from his end, picking up five wickets in seven games, with an impressive economy rate of 4.9. His disciplined bowling has enabled Chahal to attack from the other end, who has claimed 10 wickets in seven games at a strike rate of 16.
Sundar stated the key to his success has been sticking to the basics and keeping things simple, while pointing out that playing regularly has boosted his confidence.
"I have been wanting to keep the things simple and hit the hard lengths, again and again, that has been working for me this particular season, I did not want to try too many things just because we were playing in Sharjah, this win was very good. I think when a player plays a lot of games, he gets confidence and he gets used to the conditions. I think a player will feel comfortable when he plays a lot of games and it will bring the best out of him," he said.
"Coming into this particular season, we knew we will have a lot of purchase going for the spinners at least in the middle phase of the tournament and I am really glad to bowl in tandem with Chahal. I think the fact that
"We felt the wicket will slow down as the game progressed. The way AB batted, it made all the difference. We did feel that 160 would be a very good score, but the way he batted, the ground would not have made a difference," said Sundar.
RCB, who have won four of their last five games, are third in the standings with 10 points from seven games, trailing Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals on basis of the net run rate.
AB de Villiers scripted a stunning turnaround for RCB in the death overs with his late assault as he smashed 73 not out from just 33 balls, hitting six sixes and five fours.
The hapless KKR bowlers struggled to contain the flow of boundaries as RCB smashed as many as 83 runs in the last five overs.
Openers Aaron Finch (47) and Devdutt Padikkal (32) laid the platform as the duo put on 67 runs for the first wicket.
"It was important that we got a good start, I know Sharjah is a small ground, there is a lot of pressure of getting huge runs batting first, it is good that we kept the focus on our basics and we were able to set a base so that the rest of them can carry on," Padikkal said.
"Definitely, it is a bit different playing in the UAE but I am open to this challenge, there is so much I am learning from you guys. The partnership AB de Villiers and Virat had, that was amazing to see, they have 3000 runs together. It is a treat to watch de Villiers bat, some of the shots he plays, they are incredible. He just made it look easy," he added.