In an interview with the host broadcaster, daring southpaw Venkatesh Iyer, who achieved his third half-century in this round, stated that the team was “desperate to go out there” and show off their skills. After their most recent match on May 11, KKR appeared to be playing at full tilt as they easily defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2024, taking eight wickets in the process.
It is quite rare for a franchise to have an 11-day break in a competition as active as the Indian Premier League, where clubs often play two games in three days. But that’s exactly what the Kolkata Knight Riders had to go through, not because of lucky scheduling, but because the bad weather wiped out their games on May 13 and 19 against the Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals.
Venkatesh Iyer said that KKR’s position as the top team gave them the confidence to go out and give their best effort. At first, he was worried that the lengthy break between games might hurt the team’s momentum. He expressed gratitude to the backend management, coaching team, and co-owners ShahRukh Khan and Jay Mehta for their assistance. Their attendance at the location and their inspirational speech raised the team’s spirits and encouraged them to give it their all.
The fact that we finished first in the table offered us a great deal of confidence going into the playoffs, so that was the nicest part. Bravo to the owners, the management team, and the coaching staff. Jay Mehta sir and SRK [Shah Rukh Khan] sir, the co-owners, also arrived today. They made us some small conversation. Thus, the guys were inspired to go out there and put on a show and the spirits were very, really high,” said Venkatesh.
We have the chance to play in the IPL final, which is an amazing moment for us: Venkatesh Iyer
Playing in an IPL final was a fantastic feat, he said, discussing the dream-come-true experience for players like him who have struggled to break into the Indian team and rarely get selected even as reserves. What made it even more memorable, according to Venkatesh Iyer, was winning in front of a boisterous audience in Ahmedabad and then playing the final in the passionate Chepauk.
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It’s always unique. For athletes like us, getting to play in the IPL final is an incredible experience. That too, arriving here initially in front of this incredible audience [in Ahmedabad] and proceeding to the Chepauk stadium presently,” Venkatesh Iyer continued.
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