Internet Desk: Yusuf Pathan’s blitzkrieg helped Kolkata Knight Riders post an improbable win over Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday. The senior Pathan was at his best ton king the RCB bowlers to all parts of the field at Chinnaswamy stadium for his 60*(29). His innings included 6 fours and 3 sixes. Such was the brutal assault by the KKR all rounder that it left Virat Kohli wondering helplessly. Later Kohli walked up to Pathan after the match and appreciated his match winning effort.
“Virat appreciated my innings and said he had nothing to do except watching me bat helplessly as a spectator. I also appreciated his batting,” said Pathan to xtratime.in
Lokesh Raul will be cursing himself for missing a golden opportunity to get Andre Russell stumped while he was on 13 runs. The missed stumping proved to be costly as Russell and Pathan stitched a partnership of 96 runs that took the match away from RCB. Russell eventually got dismissed for 39 runs off 24 balls.
Yousuf did accept that it was the turning point of the match.
The senior Pathan also dedicated his knock on Monday to his new born son. It was a perfect gift for his elder son Ayaan who celebrated his birthday yesterday.
“Yes, I would like to dedicate my knock to my new born son. Incidentally my elder son Ayaan also celebrated his birthday yesterday. So it was a perfect birthday gift for him,” said Yusuf.
Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir was seen kicking the chair in the dugout after the win. But Yusuf did not noticed his captain’s reaction. “He is always in the game, and keeps himself focused in the match. He was definitely excited after the win as was evident from his reaction.”
He also praised Gambhir’s captaincy, and appreciated the way he backs his players in good or bad situation. “Trusting and backing players in any situation boosts the morale of the players,” he said.
According to Pathan , the partnership of 96 runs for the fifth wicket between him and Andre Russel played a crucial role to clinching a victory against RCB in their backyard. “In the initial period of our partnership, Russel took the role of going after the bowling, and I steadied the innings, which helped us build a good partnership, and from there on the target began to look small,” he said. “We were just thinking of staying on the wicket and play shots, when the team was struggling at 69 for four,” he said.
Replying to a query on KKR middle and lower order batsmen hardly getting chance to bat in the event of top-order batsmen blazing all guns, Pathan said the team is prepared for this eventuality as was reflected in today’s win. “One thing however is good about KKR – even if the top order fails, the middle order comes to the party as we did today, after the early collapse. They came out good and snatched victory from the jaws of RCB,” he said.
During a studio discussion after the match, Gavaskar had called RCB bowling as “popatwadi attack.”
Pathan completely had different views with Gavaskar. “It is his viewpoint and his perception. Whatever he said, it is according to his understanding. But look at Varun Aaron and Shane Watson, they both have represented their country for their achievements,” he said.
“Any team playing, or for that matter any batting lineup, and especially any bowling lineup cannot be called Popatwadi Attack, when teams are participating in big tournaments as IPL,” Pathan told reporters during the post-match press conference.