IPL 2025: De Kock Commends Narine and Rana After Dominating Win Against CSK
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Synopsis
Kolkata Knight Riders' Quinton de Kock commended Sunil Narine and Harshit Rana following a decisive eight-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings. Narine's all-round performance and Rana's wicket-taking ability stood out in the match.
Key Takeaways
- Quinton de Kock praised Sunil Narine and Harshit Rana.
- Narine took 3 wickets and scored 44 runs.
- Rana contributed with 2 wickets.
- Team strategy included using multiple spinners.
- De Kock emphasized flexible plans for Rana.
Chennai, April 12 (NationPress) Kolkata Knight Riders opener Quinton de Kock praised all-rounder Sunil Narine and fast bowler Harshit Rana for their outstanding performances during the team's impressive eight-wicket victory against the Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk on Friday.
Narine delivered an exceptional bowling display, finishing with figures of 3-13 in his four overs, and contributed a fiery 44 runs off just 18 balls, featuring five sixes and two fours, to help the team chase down a modest target of 104 with 59 balls remaining. His remarkable efforts earned him the Player of the Match award.
“It's all about mixing it up. I believe it's challenging to face certain spin bowlers because you never know what to expect. Additionally, with their skills and bowling areas, Sunil takes pride in his bowling, and so does Varun. They are continually refining their game and striving for improvement,” the Proteas batsman stated during the post-match press briefing.
De Kock also commended fast bowler Rana, who took two wickets during the match. “He is our key pace bowler, and we aim to utilize him as a wicket-taker. It varies based on the situations we encounter. With the new ball, we typically aim to strike early. Today, we opted to start with the spinner before bringing him in, as his role is to break wickets or capitalize when one has fallen and keep the wickets flowing,” De Kock explained.
He emphasized that KKR wants Rana to have a range of strategies. “He doesn't follow a single plan. We aim to provide him with as many opportunities as possible to take wickets for the team. Even though we have two spinners, as our main fast bowler, there will be specific wickets or venues where we will require him to step up and perform as he did tonight,” he further commented.
Discussing their strategy of including three spinners, including Varun Chakaravarthy and Moeen Ali, alongside Narine, the left-handed opener attributed the decision to the previous experiences of captain Ajinkya Rahane and Moeen with CSK.
“When we bowled, it appeared slower, gripping a bit, and our bowlers relished that. We have players like Jinx and Mo who have been here before and understood that, which is why we included an extra spinner,” De Kock remarked.
“I believe the second innings improved slightly. It seemed to come on better, or at least that's how I perceived it; it played slow but gradually enhanced as the innings progressed,” the batsman concluded.
