A jam-packed Eden Gardens could be intimidating for any team but table toppers Kings XI Punjab coach Sanjay Bangar said they’re not wary of the partisan Kolkata crowd and are looking forward to revel in the challenging conditions.
Eden Gardens always boosts of an electrifying crowd as the vociferous 70,000 odd fans are known for stepping up the decibel levels and Bangar said they are looking forward to the challenge of taking on the home team at their den. “We are looking forward to it. Eden Gardens has an history of producing great cricket because of the crowd and the atmosphere that is created. Its good to have that sort of competition and challenge for both the teams. We will revel in the conditions,” Bangar said on Monday.
KXIP have shed their underdogs tag this season with some clinical performances as they have led the table right from the start and finished on a high with 11 wins from 14 matches. The secret, Bangar said, was to not think much and focus on their positives. “The key isn’t to think too far ahead and try and do things you’re good at and challenge your limitations that has been the emphasis of our team. We’ve not gone beyond that. Maybe that has helped us play some consistent cricket over a long period of time,” Bangar said.
It’s KKR who have beaten KXIP by 23 runs in the first leg, which was KXIP’s one of the three losses, the other being to Mumbai Indians on both legs but Bangar said it’s all history. “Past records don’t really indicate anything. The teams that have got to the play-offs have played really good cricket and whichever team plays well on that day will hold an edge,” he said.
“Each team comes out with their own strategies, we’ll also try to negate the positives like any other team does to counter the opposition.”