Delhi Capitals (DC) batsman Prithvi Shaw felt delighted after his team's win in a super-over contest with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), but he also rued the fact that he wasn't able to push the side home towards victory before the game tied on Saturday (March 30) in IPL 2019.
Chasing a stiff target of 186 set by KKR on the back of Andre Russell's fantastic knock of 62 in just 28 balls, Delhi responded with an outstanding overall batting performance of their own.
Shaw led the way with his classy innings of 99 from 55 balls and had a terrific second wicket partnership with his captain Shreyas Iyer, who himself made a 32-ball 43.
But Delhi couldn't win the until Kagiso Rabada delivered some of the finest deliveries under pressure and defended 11 runs that were needed for KKR to win by a margin of three at the Feroz Shah Kotla.
"I thought I missed the opportunity to finish the game for the team," said Shaw, who was awarded "Player-of-the-Match" for his efforts, at the post-match presentation ceremony. "Rather than scoring one run, I was looking to hit it big because I didn’t want the game to get this close. But the boys finished it off really well in the Super Over and I think we deserve this win."
"I spoke to my support-staff, Ricky Ponting sir, Sourav Ganguly sir, Praveen Amre sir and I figured out that I was going a little too hard early," he added. "After getting two fours in an over I was looking to do silly things. So I changed my plan and looked to take my time and hit along the ground."
Shaw then emphasized how the pitch slowing down and taking turn made it extremely difficult to bat towards the end of Delhi's innings. Wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav turned the ball sharply in the 20th over and defended just six runs that the home needed to pull off their victory.
"I think the pitch changed a bit, the bowlers’ marks opened up and Kuldeep and Piyush were getting good turn," he said. "Batting became difficult for us because their slower ones were working quite well, but we were looking to pick the singles and doubles."
"I have ten more matches to come and I am hoping to continue with the same intensity in the rest of them as well and give my 100 per cent," Shaw concluded.
(Inputs from PTI)
