The Kolkata Knight Riders secured a victory over the Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets in the 2022 Indian Premier League season on Monday, May 2. KKR's 5-game losing record in the tournament came to an end with their 7-wicket triumph held at Wankhede Stadion. Kolkata coach Brendon McCullum had an interesting reaction to his team's triumph.
In the IPL 2022 season-opening, KKR defeated the defending champion Chennai Super Kings. Kolkata also won matches against both the Punjab Kings and the Mumbai Indians after losing to the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Following that, the Knight Riders lost five times, twice to the Delhi Capitals and once each to the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, and Gujarat Titans.
The victory over Rajasthan this time proved to be a watershed moment in KKR's comeback. McCullum also feels that overcoming a succession of losing streaks necessitates the development of strong character.
McCullum praises Rana, Singh
Duo Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh teamed up to lead KKR to victory on Monday. Rana made 48 runs off 37 balls, while Singh recorded 42 runs off 23 balls. With five balls remaining, Kolkata was able to score 158/3 in response to RR's 152/5.
With captain Shreyas Iyer, Rana added 60 runs from 43 balls to keep the game in check. Trent Boult took over the ball after Iyer had scored 34 runs off 32 balls, including three fours and sixes. With Singh, Rana finished the game with 3 fours and 2 sixes. In their 38-ball partnership, the Singhs also managed to knock six fours and sixes, receiving praise from the coach.
"Singh is a fantastic player. It's been around for a long time in the series. I had the pleasure of spending some time with him prior to his first game. He is fully aware of his own ideas and career goals, and he is deserving of the success he is currently enjoying," McCullum said.
Singh is a great player on the team, according to the coach. Singh is thought to have a strong spirit, which allows for the formation of teamwork.
Rana and Singh's performance in the match, according to the coach, will continue to develop significantly. Given that KKR had previously faced a number of challenges, such as players being late, being hurt, losing performance, and losing self-confidence.
Anukul Roy's role in keeping the team balanced was also commended by McCullum. Roy put in a great showing against a quality batting order. The coach was astounded by Roy's unwavering commitment to bringing success to KKR.
With so many challenges, McCullum believes that his team's frequent modifications are critical and the major factor in their win. "There are a number of reasons why our team had to make so many adjustments as witnessed in the game," the coach remarked.
RR's team remained in third place in the table after two consecutive losses, while KKR dropped out of the top four. It's not easy, according to McCullum, to lose five games due to penalties. Despite this, the coach applauded the entire team's effort and performance. McCullum knew that this was the entire team's first match and that KKR had managed to maintain their place.
