RCB made sweeping changes to their squad this year in the quest for their first IPL title and the Aussie pacer feels “it’s definitely been a positive influence.”
RCB openers Phil Salt (left) and Virat Kohli during their 95-run partnership against KKR in Kolkata on Saturday. Pic/PTI
It seems all you need to do is add Salt to the mix. If his brilliant openings with Sunil Narine were a feature of Kolkata Knight Riders’ triumphant trail last season, Phil Salt showed on Saturday that his new partnership with Virat Kohli may turn out to be just as hot and impactful in IPL-18.
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Providing the perfect launch by adding 95 in 51 deliveries for the first wicket, the duo ensured Royal Challengers Bengaluru would easily chase down the target of 175 that the Englishman’s former team had set for them at the Eden Gardens. “[It was] not a huge score but still a decent total. To get us off to that start was crucial,” Josh Hazlewood said after his team won with seven wickets and 22 deliveries to spare.
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Josh Hazlewood
RCB made sweeping changes to their squad this year in the quest for their first IPL title and the Aussie pacer feels “it’s definitely been a positive influence.” “Fresh people, fresh mindset, almost a fresh start,” he said while reminding that Salt was among the “six caps handed out before the game.” While the threat that RCB’s top-order posed proved real, it was the comeback of their new-look bowling unit that was more telling. They took down the much-vaunted batting line-up after KKR seemed to be running away to a huge total.
Hazlewood, who said he loves bowling at Eden because of the bounce, played his part in the late stifling of KKR, but was all praise for Krunal Pandya. “KP bowled beautifully through the middle and we got to bowl at the tail towards the end,” he said. While Suyash Sharma proved expensive, Hazlewood reminded that the leg-spinner “showed some guts to bowl that ball,” — a googly just short of Andre Russell’s hitting arc. “That was a big wicket,” he said.
Skipper Ajinkya Rahane, who had played a blistering knock to get KKR’s innings going, put it all down to one bad day. “I thought RCB bowled really well,” he said, before adding: “I don’t want to focus on the negatives because the guys who got out in the middle overs have all done well for this franchisee in the past. They tried to play their game tonight; it didn’t work out, but it’s okay. They are experienced. They are dangerous.”
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