With two more matches left to ensure a spot for the IPL Playoffs 2018, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have to win both games against Rajasthan Royals, and Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Head Coach Jacques Kallis believes that it is all up to his team to make their “destiny” in the ongoing T20 event.
On Tuesday (15 May), Dinesh Karthik-led side will lock horns against the in-form RR at Eden Gardens following their morale booster 31-run win over KXIP after their two back-to-back defeats at the hands of Mumbai Indians, which shows their fortune is hanging in balance in the tournament.
As per reports in Press Trust of India, Kallis told reporters on Monday, “Destiny is still in our hands. If we play two good games of cricket, we are through to the playoffs and that's what we are interested in. It's about taking one game at a time and play well tomorrow.”
With same points (12) on the table, Royals is currently flying high with a hat-trick of wins in the tournament and they will certainly head into the Eden Gardens to get an inch closer to IPL Playoffs’ berth, but KKR is not worried about RR’s recent success.
The South African great added, “We are not really worried about what the rest of the teams are doing. Both teams are coming to confidence, so it's going to boil down who executes better on the day. It's pretty even when it comes to how the teams are coming into this game. Winning will be the priority.”
Commenting on in-form RR batter Jos Buttler, who has been in domineering form with five half-centuries in a row in the IPL 2018, Kallis said, “He certainly has been consistent and in good form. So we obviously have to make sure we have some good plans against him and the rest of the batters as well. Hopefully, they will work for us to win the game."
He also lauded Karthik, who has also been consistent with the bat, for his leading skills, saying the Tamil Nadu leads the KKR with a lot of energy on the field.
Kallis signed off by saying, “He likes leading from the front, he leads with a lot of energy. He obviously has got a lot of experience and understands the game pretty well. It's been a fairly smooth transition. Hopefully, we can come up with a good game plan tomorrow which leads us to victory.”
