|
Following Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) win over Gujarat Titans (GT), the KKR batter Finn Allen hailed the Indian uncapped batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi as a "starboy" who keeps expanding his game and how his team's reliance on him despite him being so young is proof of his greatness.
Raghuvanshi continued his rise in the IPL, registering his 5th fifty in what has been his best season so far. The 21-year-old is the top run-getter for KKR this season so far and has stood out amongst some of the legends and modern-day stars of the game. He has made 422 runs in 12 matches at an average of 42.20 and a strike rate of 146.52, with five fifties and a best score of 82*. Speaking during the post-match presser about the Indian batter, Allen remarked that some of the shots he plays are unbelievable, and his performance is a great thing for Indian cricket as well. "Starboy. He is an incredible player, and he is continuing to expand his game. He has a great base and can play some unbelievable shots. For someone so young to be relied on so heavily by the team just shows how good he is. It is really exciting for the franchise to have someone so young performing so consistently, and it is probably great for Indian cricket as well. I cannot speak highly enough of him -- he is a really good kid," he said. He also hailed spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who has had injury struggles recently, for coming out to bowl his four-over quota despite discomfort, saying that it speaks a lot about his character. The spinner went wicketless and gave away 47 runs. Allen also expressed optimism about his availability and game readiness. "Unfortunately, I do not have a physio degree, so that is a bit above my pay grade (on Varun's status for remaining matches). But he is a tough guy, and it says a lot about his character that he came out to bowl despite being sore. It means a lot to the group when players are willing to push through pain for the team," he said. "We have got a few days between games, so I am sure he will do everything possible to be ready. He is bowling incredibly well for us, and those overs today were really valuable," he added. On his team's chances to reach the playoffs by winning two remaining matches, which will take them to 15 points, he said that the focus is on preparing, training well and winning. "One thing we have done really well this season is stay composed. Even when we had a tough start, the dressing room remained calm, and that is a credit to the support staff and Jinx (skipper Ajinkya Rahane) for driving that mindset through the group. We have taken it game by game throughout the tournament. We know we need to win the last two matches to have any chance of qualifying, so the focus is simply on preparing well, training hard and doing our job," he signed off. Coming to the match, GT opted to bowl first, and the three-time IPL champions made them pay as after skipper Rahane (14) got out early, Allen (93 in 35 balls, with four boundaries and 10 sixes) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi smashed the bowlers all over the park, putting up a sizzling 95-run stand. Following Allen's dismissal, Raghuvanshi reached his fifth fifty of the season, pressing the accelarator during his 108-run stand with Cameron Green (52* in 28 balls, with three fours and four sixes), helping KKR reach 247/2 in 20 overs. Raghuvanshi scored an unbeaten 82* in 44 balls, with four boundaries and seven sixes. Siraj and Sai Kishore got a wicket each. During the run-chase, Sai Sudharsan retired hurt early. Skipper Shubman Gill (85 in 49 balls, with five fours and seven sixes) and Jos Buttler (57 in 35 balls, with five fours and two sixes) put on a 128-run stand to put GT in the hunt. But once they were dismissed, GT could not keep the run-rate up, ending at 218/4 in 20 overs. Sunil Narine (2/29) was the pick of the bowlers for KKR and also the 'Player of the Match'. GT is at the second place, with eight wins and five losses, giving them 16 points, while KKR is in seventh place, with five wins, six losses and a no result, giving them 11 points. (ANI)
|
