Pakistan, England players missing out on IPl: Akram
Kolkata: Asserting that the IPl is a great platform to sharpen skills, legendary pacer Wasim Akram on Tuesday said Pakistan and England were losing out big time with their players not featuring in the cash-rich Twenty20 cricket tournament. “Not only IPl benefits players monetarily they also get a chance to sharpen their skills. Playing in front of 50-60,000 crowd obviously gives a massive boost to a cricketer’s confidence,” the Kolkata Knight Riders bowling consultant told reporters at DPS North Kolkata, here. “The batsmen, the bowlers, they get to learn a lot, plus the exposure of playing in front of thousands of spectators. Hopefully Pakistan and England will definitely play in the IPl in the future.”
Yusuf Pathan’s cameo was crucial: Manish Pandey
Kolkata: Kolkata Knight Riders batsman Manish Pandey credited all-rounder Yusuf Pathan’s quick-fire cameo for the comprehensive 35-win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPl T20 cricket tournament here. Put in to bat, KKR stuttered after a flying start but Pathan’s 30 not out from 19 balls pushed their total of 167/7 before Sunrisers Hyderabad fell short by 35 runs. “I was batting well, if I got through, probably more runs could have come. In the end, Yusuf’s knock of 30 not out from 19 balls was a crucial one. It was a very good score on this wicket,” Pandey told a post-match news conference. He also hailed the effort of their spin duo of Brad Hogg and Johan Botha for doing a fine job in absence of the spin spearhead Sunil Narine, who is yet to get a clearance for his suspected bowling action. “We’re missing Sunil obviously. He’s been a great part of KKR team but I think Johan Botha and Brad Hogg are making a lot of difference to the side. They bowled in a crucial time of the game. Hogg has been phenomenal for us. He’ll go a long way.”
Moody not reading much into SRH one-sided loss
Kolkata: Unfazed by the loss to Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderbad coach Tom Moody blamed the conditions for the 35-run defeat in the IPl cricket match here. In pursuit of 167, SRH never looked up for the run chase after they lost two wickets including that of David Warner in the opening over. With five matches remaining, SRH have slipped to sixth in the table but Moody said this was a one off defeat. “The target in this condition was very challenging. We always knew it’s going to be a tough match here,” Moody told the post-match news conference. “Only two days ago, we beat Chennai Super Kings. I’m not going to read too much into this game. It’s disappointing to lose but we also recognise it’s a difficult game for us.”
Warner rues top-order collapse against KKR
Kolkata: Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper David Warner rued losing too many wickets in the first ten overs led to their downfall, as opponents Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pulled off a 35-run win here at the Eden Gardens on Monday. Chasing 168 as target, SRH managed only 132/9 after being at 55/4 in 8.1 overs. “Obviously we didn’t start well, we didn’t set the tone from ball one. We tried to to keep them under 150-160, and then when you lose two-three wickets in the first 10 it is hard to make a comeback. That’s what happens in this format,” Warner said after the match.