Punjab Kings skipper said that he has always prioritised the team over himself after a comfortable victory over CSK.
Punjab Kings captain KL Rahul played a spectacular innings of 98* in just 42 balls, as his team scored a resounding victory over the Chennai Super Kings on Thursday at the Dubai International Stadium.
KL Rahul went ablaze from ball one after PBKS restricted the Chennai Super Kings to 134/6 at the end of 20 overs. Rahul’s splendid knock ensured that his side chased down the total with seven overs to be bowled.
After the game, Rahul admitted that they wanted to chase down the target within 14 overs, better their net run rate, and have even the slightest chance of qualifying.
The Punjab Kings skipper proved his critics wrong, playing at a phenomenal strike rate, having previously revealed that he was playing as per the demands of the team and not his natural game.
His knock comprised of 7 fours and 8 maximum, including a pull shot over square leg off paceman Josh Hazlewood, which Rahul admitted was his favourite.
At the post-match presentation, KL Rahul said:
“Had complete clarity of what I wanted to do and that was pleasing. All the shots hit the middle of the bat. I don’t think I’ve creamed the ball might this well in some time. That felt nice…Favourite shot was the one I played to Hazlewood. I love the pull and the one over square leg was my favourite”.
Even though Punjab have now been eliminated, at the time of the game, a win of significant magnitude could still leave Punjab with a mathematical chance of going through to the playoffs. With that in mind, it was imperative that they finished off the game as quickly as possible.
Speaking after the win, Rahul confirmed Punjab’s game-plan:
“It was really hot today. The plan was simple. The numbers guys told us a few permutations and combinations and told us what gives us the best chance. We wanted to score it before 14 overs, so I had the license from ball one. Just one of those days when it comes off.”
Rahul, who had previously said that strike rates were sometimes overrated, on Thursday asserted that the team always comes first for him, saying:
“There’s been a lot of talk about the strike rates and stuff. Myself and the team know how we want to play. I’ll always put the team’s needs first. I feel like I may end up letting the team down if I play how I want to play. But today, this was how I needed to play.”
