Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar said there was some pre-game pressure on him but it eased out once he got support from his illustrious predecessor Virat Kohli and the bowlers stuck to the team's strategies.
Patidar made a bright beginning to his stint as RCB captain, leading his side to a seven-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening game of the IPL 2025 in Kolkata on Saturday.
“There was pressure on me, of course, but it was a good day for me. Hope for more such days. It feels great to captain Virat Kohli, he supports a lot, great opportunity to learn from one of the best,” Patidar said in the post-match presentation.
Patidar patted spinners Krunal Pandya, who was later adjudged player of the match, and leg-spinner Suyash Sharma for turning the match on its head after KKR got off to a flier through Ajinkya Rahane and Sunil Narine.
“We wanted (Andre) Russell's wicket, him (Suyash) conceding runs didn't matter. He is our strike bowler, we backed him.
“All credit goes to Krunal and Suyash as they were 130 in the 13th over, and the bowlers showed courage and determination,” he added.
Krunal, whose three wickets burst in the middle overs hindered KKR's run, said he was looking to vary his pace to keep the batters in check.
“I just wanted to narrow down my focus upon returning in the 11th over. Batters can hit sixes consistently, so you have to find ways to up your game. So, I wanted to bowl quick, changes of pace were useful too,” said Krunal.
Phil Salt said his opening partnership worth 95 runs with Virat Kohli set the right tone for his side's win over KKR.
“Kohli and I haven't batted together much, so, to put on a partnership like that was key.”
Salt, who migrated to RCB from KKR through last year's players' auction, said his familiarity with the Eden Gardens stood him in good stead.
“It's a ground I know, had a simple game plan coming in. I wanted to go on longer, but not to be. Batting second here makes a bit of difference, you have to hit through the line,” he said.
KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane said his side will have to improve as a unit at the earliest.
“We went well till the 13th over, but 2-3 wickets changed momentum. We have to learn from our mistakes. We thought 210-220 was par when Venkatesh (Iyer) and I were batting but we lost wickets."
“There was dew but they had a very good Power Play. We couldn't get early wickets. We don't want to think too much about this game, and just want to improve as a unit,” he said.
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