Ravichandran Ashwin praised Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman Rinku Singh for leading his side to a famous victory against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the ongoing IPL 2023.
With a required 28 off the last five balls, Rinku crushed five straight sixes against Yash Dayal to seal the game for KKR in sensational fashion.
Ashwin pointed out how certain fans have undermined the hitter’s effort by suggesting that the first three all-timers were made on complete pitches.
He stressed that it’s no piece of cake to send a full pitch over the ropes, especially when thrown at decent speed. This is what Ravichandran Ashwin had to say about Rinku Singh’s heroism while he was speaking on his YouTube channel:
“Even if someone runs and throws six full pitches, you need some skill to hit them on sixes. And it’s not like he threw those full pitches at 110-120 kmph. He threw at 135 kmph, and mind you, he’s a left-handed player.” -Closer of arms too It is a great achievement.
“Yes, the bowler was under pressure, all right. In fact, the last ball after he hit it, Rinku started running towards the bench before the ball even hit the fence. He didn’t know if the ball was going to the fielder. to catch. But once he started running back, I knew it was going to be a six.”
Rinku’s unbeaten 48-run strike helped KKR chase a stiff target of 205 with three wickets to spare, handing the defending GT champions their first defeat of the season.
The 25-year-old rescued his team after they were impressed by Rashid Khan’s hat-trick during the chase. The youngster displayed exemplary composure under pressure, bringing Yash Dayal’s left-arm pitch to cleanup in the 20th.
“A captain who understands that anyone can have a bad day will see the big picture and back the bowler” – Ravichandran Ashwin on Yash Dayal
Speaking in the aforementioned video, Ravichandran Ashwin further stated that Yash Dayal should be given a few more chances to prove himself. He opined that the fast pitcher doesn’t deserve to be cut after a bad outing.
The Team India veteran seemed optimistic about GT captain Hardik Pandya’s endorsement of Dayal despite the fiasco against KKR.
Ashwin also highlighted how the Gujarat captain praised Vijay Shankar for his half-century in the match, mentioning that he knows how to manage his players.
“The thing to remember is that they have seen ability in Yash Dayal before playing him, right? I think a captain who understands that anyone can have a bad day will look at the big picture and back the bowler. Hardik Pandya is a similar captain, Ashwin continued.
“He may not have played the last game, but he cheers for the players. He said: ‘That’s my Vij!’ when Vijay Shankar played really well. I mean that’s the example of him taking good care of his players,” he added.
GT have two wins to their name from three games and currently sit fourth in the IPL 2023 Points Table. They will then be seen in action when they take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Mohali on Thursday, April 13.