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KKR hero Lynn says happy he 'could catch that one'
Chris Lynn, the hero of Kolkata Knight Riders’ victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in Thursday’s IPL match in Sharjah, says he would have taken it the catch which dismissed AB de Villiers comfortably had he not slipped a bit.
After propping the Kolkata innings with a 31-ball 45, the 24-year-old Australian pulled off an acrobatic catch at the deep mid-wicket boundary rope to dismiss de Villiers in the last over of the match, as RCB, chasing 151 for victory, fell short by two runs.
Needing nine off the last over, RCB could score only seven, thanks largely to R Vinay Kumar's superb bowling and Lynn's catch.
"I felt it was a well-connected shot and it was a tough catch to take at that moment. I would have taken it comfortably had I stayed on my feet; I slipped a bit, but I clutched on to it at the last moment. I tried my best not to touch the boundary ropes and I am happy I could catch that one," he said.
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'To bat with Kallis and face Muralitharan is an experience I won't forget'
Lynn, who was involved in an 80-run partnership with Jacques Kallis, said it was an unbelievable experience batting alongside the South African legend.
"It is an unbelievable experience to bat with Jacques Kallis. He is so relaxed at the crease and so unaffected by pressure. He was calm and composed throughout the partnership. He is one of the greatest players and it is pretty cool to see how he goes about his batting," the 24-year-old Australian told the IPL's official website.
"To get to bat with Kallis and to get to face (Muttiah) Muralitharan is an experience I won't forget. You look back at these moments not now, but when you retire, and you realise how fun it is," he added.
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'I was pretty nervous this morning when I got told I was playing'
On whether the Kolkata side was confident of defending a rather modest total of 150, Lynn said the team was edgy to start with.
"We were not so confident with 150 and we were thinking along the lines of 180. But the ball got softer and the wicket slowed up, which worked in our favour. Sunil Narine and Vinay Kumar took the pace off the ball. I think the boys did a marvellous job to defend that total," he said.
Lynn said he himself was quite nervous when he walked out to bat in the match.
"I was pretty nervous this morning when I got told I was playing. I was also nervous when I walked out to bat, but once I got off the mark, the pressure was released," he said.
- Also read: Lynn deservedly the man-of-the-match: Gambhir