Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 4 (ANI): Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) Vaibhav Arora delivered a stellar performance, claiming 3/29 in his four overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Kolkata on Thursday, to help his team secure a crucial victory.
Speaking at the post-match presentation after being named Player of the Match, Arora highlighted the importance of preparation and adaptability as an impact substitute.
“I keep myself prepared to come in as the impact sub. I assess what the pitch is doing from outside, whether there’s swing, whether the ball is holding,” Arora said.
His sharp awareness of conditions played a key role in his success, as he struck at crucial moments to derail the opposition. The young seamer also detailed his approach to bowling in the middle overs, where variations become crucial.
“Yorkers and cutters are important in the fifth-sixth over as the ball doesn’t swing by then,” he said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo, emphasizing the importance of executing his skills under pressure.
“We plan for different batters in our meetings, depending on who the batter is, whether he is likely to give the charge,” he added.
With his match-winning spell, Arora once again proved his value as a dependable bowling option for KKR, showing composure and tactical awareness in challenging situations.
Coming to the match, SRH won the toss and fielded first. Their decision seemed to pay off when they sent Quinton de Kock and Sunil Narine for single-digits, reducing KKR to 16/2, but a counter-attack by Rahane (38 in 27 balls, with a four and four sixes) and Raghuvanshi (50 in 32 balls, with five fours and two sixes) brought them back into the game. After the quick loss of these two stars, Venkatesh Iyer (60 in 29 balls, with seven fours and three sixes) and Rinku Singh (32* in 17 balls, with four boundaries and a six) powered KKR to 200/6 in their 20 overs with a 91-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Mohammed Shami (1/29) and Harshal Patel (1/43) were top wicket-takers for SRH.
During the run-chase, SRH was never truly in the match and lost wickets at rapid rate. Vaibhav Arora (3/29) and Varun Chakravarthy (3/22) stood out as only Heinrich Klaasen (33 in 21 balls, with two fours and two sixes) and Kamindu Mendis (27 in 20 balls, with a four and two sixes) could cross the 20-run mark.
With this win, KKR’s campaign is somewhat back on track as with two wins and two losses. They are in the fifth spot. SRH are at the bottom with a win and three losses. (ANI)
