See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos
Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km
Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Hello, a very warm good evening to you all. This is Gautam from Gulf News. We have once
00:15again joined at the end of a very gripping IPL match at the straight back discussion
00:20with Mr. Anish Sajjan, Mr. Cricket UAE. Unfortunately, he is not us right now. It's a Friday, but
00:28he will be joining with us anytime soon. With me, I've got Satish, my colleague, who had
00:35been down there to cover the match. And we have got an ardent fan of Punjab Kings in
00:42Aru. I mean, it's one of the rare days when he's trying to suppress his chuckle. So my
00:49first question straight to Satish is, Satish, where did Kolkata Knight Riders get the plot
00:56wrong? Were they around 20-25 runs short on this kind of a wicket?
01:01Yeah, the last five overs of the six overs, Punjab played a very smart cricket and they
01:08pegged the batting back. And what has also happened is the form or the lack of form of
01:15Owen Morgan and Dinesh Karthik did not help Kolkata's cause. So they couldn't get the
01:23force that was required. After Rana's exit, I think probably there was only one four or
01:28maybe there was none until the end of the innings. So you can't have, that means between
01:34the 17th over or the 18th over, last two overs, you did not get a single four. Then that means
01:40you are short by, say, at least even 10 to 12 runs at least. Minimal, I'm talking about.
01:45So it was getting a little slower as the game progressed because the deuce set in and then
01:51the wicket was slightly slower. But I think due credit to KL Rahul for reading the wicket
01:57quite well and both the medium paces, Shami and Ashdeep bowling at the right areas, not
02:04giving the batsmen any chance to play their shots. Dinesh Karthik changed his bat, but
02:09I don't think it mattered much because he couldn't get the timing and he couldn't get
02:15the ball to the fence. So that was the key. Maybe another 15 runs, as we saw, it was only
02:22about four balls that was remaining and anything would have happened if there was another 15-20
02:27runs, maybe maximum.
02:29Arun, what's your take on, this win was very much necessary because now again, there is
02:38a bit of a jam and KKR has also become part of a jam by losing this match. So what do
02:45you think? I mean, you've got, you've just got two games left after this, two or three?
02:51Yeah.
02:52Two games.
02:53Yeah. So what do you think about your team's chances, Arun?
02:57Actually, this game gave us a good start. Because if this was not in our favor, we would
03:04have lost this chance to be in the IPL, we would have gotten out of the IPL. But winning
03:10this game, not only gave us a chance to be in the playoffs, like a chance, actually,
03:18but also it gave confidence to our players so that they may like, you know, get along.
03:24And as for me, why we won, I don't understand, like such a great score. It was such a great
03:32score to defeat. But still we have won. Because KL Rahul was in form today. You could have
03:39seen his score. It was like 60-70 around.
03:42Right.
03:43Plus SRK also. He also was like, you know, he also gave a good competition to the KKR,
03:53Kolkata.
03:54Right. I'll go back to Satish again. Satish, this Venkatesh Iyer, I mean, this guy seems
04:03to be playing like, you know, the lead batsman of any team who play. I mean, he can play
04:08at top gear, second gear. I mean, so what do you make of his maturity? He's basically
04:16a product of domestic cricket. So what do you make of his maturity? And where do you
04:21see him going from here?
04:24I think right now, the form is in or the confidence that he has got, he could do no wrong. The
04:29way he is playing, some of the shots, it was top class. Naturally, the left-hander gaze
04:35is always there. But it was a top-class knock. The cover drives were… He could pierce the
04:41field. And some of the shots were so powerful. And he does it with minimal effort. And he's
04:46got a very, very smart brain as well. When he can't hit, he'll rotate the swingle.
04:52So he played a very, very calculated knock, which actually set the tone for Rahul to follow
04:59in his footsteps, basically. Rahul is a smart character as well. So he also read the wicket
05:04well and he realized that a long partnership or somebody has to stay there for a long time.
05:11That was the reason why he stayed for a long time. And whereas Venkatesh Iyer, when he left,
05:16it opened up a gap there.
05:21Yeah, amazing. And he's such an utility cricketer that I'm sure in this coming mega auction,
05:29he will be quite a hot property because we don't know how many of them each team can
05:34retain.
05:35Correct. In fact, Gautam, I also feel that players like Venkatesh Iyer and these guys,
05:48or Ashdeep for that matter, I think they all missed the chance to be part of this
05:53World Cup team, maybe. They have not much experience. But maybe they could have been
06:00inducted in some way where with this form, they could do better, because some of the
06:05players who are there already are not in good form at this point of time, if you look at.
06:11Yes, I mean, that talk is going on. I mean, you've got, you still have October 10 as a
06:17cutoff date. But it will be interesting to see. I mean, if you finally really
06:23change anybody just for form, I don't remember this kind of a thing happening.
06:27True. Anyway, before we wrap up, I mean, like tomorrow.
06:31I also need to talk about how this Punjab victory has done two things. One,
06:41as we talked about the logjam, Delhi Capitals have now booked their place in the playoffs,
06:46because they have got 16 points now. And in case if Bangalore wins their next game and come to 16
06:53points, then there will be three teams fighting for a single slot. That makes it much, much more
06:58interesting. Right. Okay, fine. So, you know, another set of doubleheaders coming up tomorrow.
07:09I mean, tomorrow, the intriguing one is going to be Sharjah, which is a day game. I mean, that is
07:14the Delhi versus Mumbai game. This used to be a cracker of a game all time. And of course,
07:21Mumbai, after coming back with that win, you know, Hardik Pandya and Kieran Pollard
07:29found themselves among the runs. Mumbai knows how to put the, you know, they're in the fifth
07:34position, they were before this game. So, that game is there. And then you've got the second
07:41game between Rajasthan and Chennai. Now, Chennai, there is very little at,
07:48there is nothing at stake. In fact, I mean, they can try some new places.
07:53Yes, correct. Now, first game, Satish, I want you to take, how do you see it panning out?
08:01This is Mumbai versus Delhi. Delhi in Sharjah. That's the ideal angle there.
08:10I think this is because Delhi has already booked their spot in the playoffs.
08:17So, it is for Mumbai to win. So, they must be under slightly increased pressure. But
08:24going by the last game, I think they are slowly getting into the rhythm. If they maintain the
08:29same way they have been playing, I think it will be a closer game than what it feels like,
08:36or it would have been a couple of weeks ago. I would still go with Mumbai winning because
08:45they are literally, a kind of a must-win clash it is for them. Because otherwise,
08:52they will be out of their reckoning mostly. So, it is, yeah, of course, I think Mumbai has
08:58played only 11. It is a 12th game. Still, they have two games, which they can come up with 14
09:03points. But yes, they are actually there. I mean, like the cat has nine lives.
09:09Mumbai has done it. Mumbai has done it in the past.
09:12Mumbai, CSK, both are masters at it.
09:16Right. And one last thing from you. I mean, Chennai, what do you think they should be
09:21looking at, at this game? I mean, where they can try and because they don't believe in
09:27experimentations. But having said that, are there any areas where they can look to try,
09:32you know, X or Y and see?
09:35Yeah. Certainly, Gautam, the Bangalore all-rounder, I'm forgetting the name.
09:44He is part of the Gautam.
09:47Gautam, yeah. Krishnappa Gautam, you told me.
09:50Krishnappa Gautam, yeah. Gautam has not played. He is one of the highest purchases for CSK.
09:56Maybe they can bring him in tomorrow. Similarly, Sam Curran can get a longer rope,
10:03because CSK has booked a slot almost three matches ahead.
10:11Sorry.
10:13Aru, a quick word from you. Tomorrow's winners, Delhi versus Mumbai and CSK versus Rajasthan.
10:22See, basically, it is very clear right now that Delhi versus
10:30Mumbai, Delhi will win the match.
10:33But it doesn't make it interesting. If Mumbai wins, it will be an interesting because
10:38the other teams will get chances and there will be a lot of predictions around there.
10:44If Delhi wins, there will be no prediction. Right away, the slot is filled.
10:52Similarly, Chennai also. If Chennai wins, it is like, it is nothing new happening.
10:58It is well said from the start, as Mr. Sadi said, Chennai has made its plays before three
11:05matches. In the previous three matches only, it has made its spot there. It has got 16 points,
11:12right? Am I right? Yes.
11:16Chennai has 18 points.
11:18Yeah, Chennai has 18 points.
11:21So if Chennai wins, there will be no interest. I am in favor of Chennai. But I really believe
11:27that the opposite team should win. Like in Delhi versus Mumbai, I think Mumbai should win.
11:35Yeah, Mumbai.
11:35As per the performance also.
11:37Definitely, it opens up. The Chennai game, Rajasthan,
11:42The chances are slim.
11:43The chances are very, very slim.
11:45We call it playing for pride. But Chennai always likes to keep the winning habit. So
11:52my take would be, in the first game, in Sharjah, and with the kind of spin attack that Delhi has
12:00at their disposal, I would say Delhi. And the second game, I see it's difficult for Rajasthan
12:07to really put it across Chennai. Chennai are not going to be with Dhoni around. Chennai are not
12:12going to let their foot off the pedal with another week or two games. And then you get into the
12:21playoffs. So it's not the right time to lose the momentum.
12:27That's it for tonight. We missed Mr. Anish Sajjan in the discussion. I'm sure we are
12:34going to catch up with him tomorrow. Thank you, Satish. Thank you, Gautam.
12:40Thank you, Arun. Good night. Good night, everyone.
12:42Good night. Good night.