IPL 2017| Gautam Gambhir: We played too many dot balls
Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir felt his side wasted too many deliveries in their 168-run chase against Kings XI Punjab that cost them dearly and led to their defeat. Gambhir also hinted that it could have been Sunil Narine's last match opening the innings for the side.
The Kings XI Punjab bowlers did a commendable job in the later half of the Kolkata Knight Riders innings when they restricted the opposition from scoring freely and kept their playoffs hope alive with a 14-run victory.
The Kolkata side was off to a flyer as they scored 61 runs in the power play courtesy Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine's explosive start but failed to capitalize on the start as they faltered to a loss.
Skipper Gautam Gambhir's keen eye caught the reason for their loss which he stated in the post-match presentation.
"I thought we started off very well. After six overs, me, Robin (Uthappa) and Manish (Pandey) obviously played too many dot balls.", said Gambhir.
He further complemented the Punjab bowlers for their brilliant performance.
"That was the turning point. We could have rotated the strike better. Credit to Kings XI, they hung in there. They didn't give us easy runs and they were always attacking," Gambhir stated.
"The dots ball made a lot of difference. I could have opened and Robin could have batted at three at his original position. But Sunil (Narine) has been hitting the ball well and we thought that he could provide the momentum upfront," he added.
The Delhi batsman further suggested that Sunil Narine might not open for the Kolkata franchise, henceforth in the tournament.
"We have one more game to go. Me and (Chris) Lynn might open and Robin will be back at three. Maybe we could think about that combinations in the coming games. At one point of time, the required rate was around 7.5 to 8, taking it to 11, that was the turning point."
Kolkata face-off against Mumbai Indians at home in their last encounter of the group stages on Saturday.