"I didn't do anything different, just bowled a googly in a good area," said Kuldeep Yadav when asked how he managed to dismisss Rahane for the second time in about a week
Kolkata's Kuldeep Yadav celebrates the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane in Kolkata on Wednesday. Pic/AFP
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Kolkata spinner Kuldeep Yadav said the dismissal Rajasthan skipper Ajinkya Rahane was crucial in the Eliminator on Wednesday. "I didn't do anything different, just bowled a googly in a good area," said Kuldeep Yadav when asked how he managed to dismisss Rahane for the second time in about a week. The wicket, the only one of the night for Kuldeep, proved to be the beginning of the end for Rajasthan, who seemed to be cruising towards the 170-run target.
"It was very important to get that wicket because Ajju Bhai [Rahane] was batting well. We knew if we could get a wicket at that stage we were in with a chance," said Kuldeep. While the bowlers fought back to ensure victory, Kuldeep had no doubt about the most crucial contribution of the night.
Ajinkya Rahane
Russell turned it around
"[Andre] Russell [49 not out] played an extraordinary innings. We were thinking 145-150 but he took us to 170, which was a good score," gushed Kuldeep, adding: "He also bowled very well and deserved the Man of the Match award."
Kuldeep sounded a warning for the Hyderabad, who the Knights meet in Qualifier 2 today. "We are used to conditions here. It will be difficult for them as the wicket is completely different from that in Mumbai, which had true bounce. Here it's a little sticky and there's some spin as well," he said.
Ajinkya Rahane wore a drained and dejected look. "We thought 170 was chaseable. We needed partnerships and we got them with Rahul [Tripathi] and me, and then me and Sanju [Samson]," the Rajasthan skipper said, stressing on how well placed they were to win this one.
Chasing under pressure
"We needed one batsman to bat through. Unfortunately, Sanju got out in the 16th. When you are chasing 170 in a pressure game, you need someone from the top four to bat through the innings," he added, not forgetting to be gracious with a "credit to the Kolkata bowlers, particularly the way they bowled in the last four-five overs".
Also Read: T20 2018: 5 vital takeaways from Kolkata's win over Rajasthan
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