KKR spinner Varun Chakravarthy revealed how the franchise’s co-owner, Shah Rukh Khan, motivated the side following their unexpected defeat to PBKS in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 on April 26. Chakravarthy revealed how Shah Rukh and KKR assistant coach Abhishek Nayar’s words played a key role in his phenomenal performance that helped his side register an emphatic victory over DC on April 29. The 32-year-old was awarded with the Player of the Match award for his 3/16 spell, which played a pivotal role in restricting DC to a low total of 153/9, after the Rishabh Pant-led side made a daring call to bat first against the in-form KKR.
Despite his brilliance against the DC batting unit, Chakravarthy did not have a similar turn of fates in KKR’s defeat to PBKS, which saw the leg-spinner concede 46 runs in his 3 overs. On top of some top-notch batting from Jonny Bairstow and Shashank Singh, the Sam Curran-led PBKS chased down the 262 -run target set by the two-time IPL winners, securing the highest ever successful run chase in the history of T20 cricket. However, Chakravarthy well and truly redeemed himself in DC clash with his spin brilliance, specifically by bagging the crucial wickets of Pant and Tristan Stubbs.
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Speaking at the post-match presentation, Chakravarthy highlighted how Shah Rukh and Naya’s motivation helped him shape up his performance in the DC clash.
“In the last game, after conceding so many runs, it was a tough pill to take but the whole team motivated us. Abhishek Nayar and even Shahrukh Khan came and spoke to me, definitely motivated us,” Chakravarthy said.
The KKR spinner went on to reflect upon his performance in the win, and how the pitch at the Eden Gardens helped him with his bowling.
“It (the pitch) was holding a bit, as the game progressed in the 2nd innings, it was turning as well. [on him having a good match-up against Pant] Nothing like that, when the catch was dropped, I felt that was a better ball, and the one I got him, on other grounds, it would have gone for a six. Cricket has become a game of fine margins,” Chakravarthy added.
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With this win, KKR have now cushioned their place in the second spot in the IPL 2024 points table, standing on 12 points in their 9 games so far. KKR will be looking to bank on this momentum as they shift focus to their upcoming clash against MI on May 3.
Source Agencies
