Dubai: Two stunning catches by Mitchell Starc gave Royal Challengers Bangalore a great chance of defending a modest total against Kings XI Punjab, and the Australian felt that dismissing destructive batsman Glenn Maxwell with his brilliant effort was very "satisfying".
Starc took two brilliant back-to-back catches of Wriddhiman Saha (2) and Maxwell (6) to reduce KXIP to 40 for three at one stage while they were chasing a small target of 125 for victory. At the end though, RCB lost by five wickets. "Maxi's catch was more satisfying because he has been scoring heavily and I was happy to get him out cheaply. It didn't do us any good in the end but I was happy to take a couple of good ones," said Maxwell.
"Technically, however, I found Maxi's catch a little easier. Saha had hit the ball hard and I didn't know to which part of the boundary it was going. Also, I had to maintain my balance very close to the rope. For me, getting low in front is easier than the balancing act," he pointed out.
Gauti's place in the side safe: Dahiya
Abu Dhabi: KKR assistant coach Vijay Dahiya insists there is no danger to Gautam Gambhir's place in the side even as the captain continues to battle poor form in the IPl.
Though Dahiya backed Gambhir to come good later in the tournament, he conceded that the left-hander not scoring runs is a worry for the team. "If you ask me, Gautam is our best batsman and there are no two ways about it that if your best batsman is not in form, it is a problem for the team," said Dahiya before Knight Riders' final game in the UAE against Rajasthan Royals.
"But we know him and we know that he will come back to his best. It will be a different team when he starts scoring runs at the top. There is not a single talk about his place in the side. let's not forget that he is not only one of our batsmen but also our leader. He has led the team very well and we need him in the mix," said the former India wicket-keeper.
Gambhir has had a disastrous run scoring 0, 0, 0, 1 in the first four games. In fact, the Delhi batsman batted at number three after a streak of ducks at the top of the order but Dahiya reckoned it would be best for the team if Gambhir bats at his usual position. "Honestly, if you ask me, he is an opener and I would love to see him open the innings. The pressure will be there but what if he comes after two quick wickets have fallenIJ He'd feel even more pressure," said Dahiya.
‘Pace isn’t my strength’
New Delhi: Playing alongside Dale Steyn and Ishant Sharma, who work up genuine pace, Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar says speed is not his strength and therefore he relies on swing to get wickets. "My strength is not pace. I rely on swing to get wickets and I continue to do it that way. I have never tried to copy others," Kumar said on Tuesday.
Asked if playing alongside Steyn and Ishant he ever feels the need to increase pace, Kumar said, "No, I don't think so. Never looked at the other end, that my partner is working up good pace or not. I just want to bank on my strength and I do that," he said.
Fast gaining a reputation for being one of the most economical T20 bowlers, Kumar said his mantra was simple to just stick to the basics. "It's all about doing the little things right. It doesn't matter what form of cricket you’re playing. Just keep things simple and you will succeed. I have just concentrated on pitching the ball right and have done well so far," the 24-year-old bowler said.
Kumar, who is relishing being part of Sunrisers Hyderabad's pace unit led by Steyn, said it has been a learning experience for him. "There is no particular thing that I have learnt from him. It's also not that he teaches me anything. There are many things that you just observe while watching Steyn. Just seeing him bowl is a great learning in itself," Kumar said.
Simmons for Saxena
Dubai: West Indies batsman lendl Simmons has been included in the Mumbai Indians squad in place of Jalaj Saxena, the IPl technical committee announced on Tuesday.
While no reason was given for the change, the move will definitely boost the morale of Mumbai, who are lying at the bottom of the points table. "The IPl Event Technical Committee has approved lendl Simmons as a replacement player for Jalaj Saxena for the remainder of the IPl 2014 season. Simmons is eligible to play for Mumbai Indians with immediate effect," read an IPl release.