Bengaluru’s Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign got off to a rocky start with a defeat against champions Chennai Super Kings. Despite a top-order collapse, team member Dinesh Karthik remains confident that his fellow batsmen will soon find their form.
The team boasts stellar players like Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis, but the opening pair failed to capitalize on their good starts in the Friday match, with Kohli making 21 and du Plessis 35. Glenn Maxwell also disappointed with a first-ball duck, while Rajat Patidar and Cameron Green couldn’t make significant contributions.
Reflecting on the aggressive approach early in the game, Karthik told reporters, “When you have a long batting lineup, ideally what you want to be doing is putting pressure throughout. That’s what we tried to do, play shots.”
The team staged a late comeback thanks to Anuj Rawat’s 48 off 25 balls and Karthik’s 38 off 26 balls, forming a crucial 95-run partnership to guide the team to a total of 173-6 in 20 overs. However, Chennai successfully chased down the total with six wickets and eight balls to spare.
Karthik explained, “Sometimes it becomes important for the backend players to soak up the pressure, try and see what’s required at that stage. That’s what Anuj and I did.” He expressed confidence in the team’s high-caliber batters, stating, “If they keep their form continuing and not lose wickets like we lost today, then we can see some big scores.”
Chennai’s bowling consultant, Eric Simons, praised Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman for his outstanding performance, taking 4-29 in four overs. “It was always about the conditions and the balance of the side that we would like a left-armer, somebody that brings something different,” said Simons.
“We just felt that he does suit the conditions, but it’s the simplicity of the plan we put in place. It has always been the hallmark of the way we go about our stuff. He executed beautifully,” Simons added.
Overall, despite the initial setback, Karthik and the Bengaluru team remain optimistic about their prospects in the IPL, banking on the talent and experience of their players to bounce back in the upcoming matches.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
