'Krunal Pandya was a handy asset through the middle, and Josh Hazlewood did what he does best.'
Australia great Matthew Hayden hailed the selection of Krunal Pandya as a “smart pick” for the Royal Challengers Bangalore camp in this IPL season, adding that there is “something special” about the squad this year.
RCB halted Kolkata Knight Riders' charge in the IPL opener on Saturday, staging a remarkable comeback to secure a seven-wicket win, which was completed with 22 balls to spare in pursuit of 175.
Left-arm spinner Pandya set up the win for RCB, returning figures of 4-0-29-3. The opening pair of Phil Salt (56) and Virat Kohli (59) then scripted the chase, with skipper Rajat Patidar (34) making all the right moves to ensure RCB began the season with a victory.
“It was an emphatic and important victory for Rajat Patidar as the new captain. Having Virat Kohli in great form certainly helps,” Hayden was quoted as saying by JioStar.
“Their bowling line-up looked solid -- Krunal Pandya was a handy asset through the middle, and Josh Hazlewood did what he does best. For the first time in a long while, I look at RCB's setup and think -- there's something special about this unit this year,” he added.
Hayden said Pandya's ability to change the pace on the ball and attack the stumps worked for the left-arm spinner.
"He was such a smart pick and a clever bowler. His change of pace, his ability to attack the stumps -- it was an excellent setup,” Hayden said.
“You can't beat experience in high-pressure situations, and he showed serious character. At one point, it looked like RCB was in deep trouble, but their comeback was superb.”
Hayden also praised RCB batting mainstay Kohli for his half-century which helped him cross the 1,000-run mark against KKR in IPL history.
"This was the perfect total for Virat Kohli to chase down. If you find yourself in a par or slightly above-par scenario on such a surface, that's where he thrives,” he said.
“It's crucial that Phil Salt, as his partner, helps elevate the strike rate and scoring rate. Kohli has picked up exactly where he left off with Kolkata Knight Riders, but tonight and over the past two seasons, we've seen ‘Virat Kohli 2.0'.
"Especially in the middle overs, he was really damaging. He finds it quite easy against pace in the powerplay, but today, through the middle overs, he maintained a strike rate above 170 — exactly what was needed.”
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