IPL 2020 : “But then we thought let’s go with Siraj,” Kohli reveals he had other plans before handing Siraj the new ball
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Mohammad Siraj, usually criticised for his expensive bowling, surprised the world with his phenomenal performance against Kolkata Knight Riders last night. Siraj breathed fire in the powerplay as he scalped 3 wickets while bowling two maidens in his first spell. With this feat, he inked his name in the record books as the only bowler to have bowled two maidens in an IPL match.
With his newfound accuracy, Siraj wreaked havoc through KKR’s top order as he sent the likes of Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana and Tom Banton packing in three overs. His fabulous figures of 3/8 in four overs helped RCB restrict KKR to just 84/2 before they chased the score down under 14 overs.
Also read : IPL 2020: Mohammed Siraj becomes first bowler to bowl two maidens in a single IPL match
Was thinking to give Washington the new ball
While Virat Kohli’s masterstroke of handing Siraj the new ball was lauded by everyone, he revealed that he had second thoughts about it. Kohli shares that he was first going to open with Chris Morris and Washington Sundar but then changed his mind. He also reveals that it was not a random decision but a plan B to go with Siraj in the powerplay.
“I was thinking Washy for the new ball. It was a good toss to lose because we would have batted first. The plan was to bowl Washy and Morry, but then we thought let’s go Morris and Siraj. The management has set in a culture where there is proper planning. It is not random. We have a Plan A, we have a Plan B, we have a Plan C. We are here to execute the plans we have in place. We did a few things at the auction too, which is paying off,” Kohli said during the post match presentation.
The RCB skipper is mighty impressed by the way Morris has been carrying himself since his return from the injury. Kohli also shares how Siraj’s hard work is finally paying off and wants him to keep following the process.
“You can have all the plans, but you have to have belief. Morry is living the responsibility. He is the guy who likes to take the leadership role. His energy is amazing. He can contribute with the bat ball and in the field. Last year Siraj had a tough year and a lot of people went hard at him. This year he has worked hard and was bowling well in the nets. He has seen the results now but we want him to keep following the process.”
The huge 8 wicket win over KKR has now put RCB in the second spot of the points table. With 14 points already in their bag, Kohli’s side need one more win from their remaining 4 games to confirm their playoff spot.
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