The expression on Shardul Thakur’s face as he walked up to receive the Man of the Match award reflected how pleased and relieved he was with his performance in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ comprehensive 81-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Eden on Thursday.
“Even I don’t know where it (the 68-run knock off 29 balls) came from... Looking at the scorecard, everyone would have said we were struggling. But then, your subconscious mind takes over,” Shardul, who also took a wicket bowling two overs, said at the post-match presentation.
The India seamer all-rounder credited range-hitting during practice sessions for his show with the bat. “You also have to have skills to do that at the higher level, while we also work hard at the nets.
“The coaching staff gives us the throwdowns and the option of range-hitting. And you know the pitches here. They always suit the batsmen, don’t they?”
Captain Nitish Rana was obviously effusive in his praise for Shardul. “To speak of Shardul, I had always thought he could provide that impact as a batter. But he exceeded my expectations. A captain certainly cannot ask for anything more in such a (difficult) situation,” Rana said at the post-match news conference.
“It truly was an unbelievable innings from Shardul. People will talk about Shardul, but Rinku (Singh) held one end up, as we had planned,” the Knight Riders skipper emphasised.
