XtraTime Web Desk: Delhi Capital’s fast bowler Anrich Nortje is bubbling in confidence after his match winning spell 4-3-33 in the IPL 2020 match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday night at the Sharjah Stadium. It was due to Nortje’s spell Delhi Capitals registered a 18 runs win against KKR.
After a great start in their defense of a mammoth total of 228 runs, things seemed to go topsy-turvy for Delhi Capitals as Eoin Morgan and Rahul Tripathi brought Kolkata Knight Riders back into the game with a flurry of sixes. However, it was Nortje who bowled a match-defining penultimate over and helped the team in securing the win. In that over, the 26-year-old conceded only five runs, and picked up the big wicket of Morgan
“I’m just happy we could win and get the team over the line. I think the boys really bowled well. Maybe in one or two overs they got all of us, but I think in general the plans were good and everyone executed them well, so well done to the boys,” said Nortje after the match.
The 26-year-old pacer, who has been playing a perfect second fiddle to his fellow countryman Kagiso Rabada so far, finished with figures of 3/33 in the challenging conditions of Sharjah, and helped the team to regain the top spot in the points table.
“I think I just try to keep it basic, and not overthink things. Once you think too much about the big or small ground, and how easy it is sometimes to hit sixes you get a bit carried away, so just stick to your skills – what you have been training, and that is what’s going to get you over the line,” said the South African, who’s picked up 5 wickets in 4 IPL matches this season.
Talking about their next game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have also won three out of four matches so far, Nortje said he believes his team is good enough to outskill any team. “It’s going to be a good challenge. They have got a pretty good line-up, and have some big names. But, I think we have got a good team as well and the guys have been training really well. If we just execute our skills, perform the way we have been, I think it’s going to be a very good game, and I’m sure we can outskill them,” he signed off.
Delhi Capitals face Royal Challengers Bangalore in Dubai on Monday evening with an unfavorable head-to-head statistic – with Delhi Capitals having won only 8 out of their 23 meetings, two of which came last season.