IPL 2024 | "We've been focussing on style of cricket Gambhir wants us to play": Rana

Harshit Rana (Pic: File Pic)

Young pacer Harshit Rana feels that Kolkata Knight Riders are getting rewards by following what their mentor Gautam Gambhir has set as they have secured the top spot on the IPL 2024 points table.

Under Gautam Gambhir's captaincy, KKR won the IPL title two times and also qualified for the playoffs five times from 2011 to 2017. In 2014, the veteran also took KKR to the finals of the Champions League T20. In the last seven years. the side has managed to reach the playoffs only twice.

Gautam Gambhir returned to the side as the mentor for the IPL 2024. This move has turned things quite a bit for KKR as they are now the table toppers with 16 points after their 98-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants. "Not only this match, this entire season we have been focussing a lot on the style of cricket that Gautam Gambhir wants us to play. He has a lot of knowledge on how to turn games in our favour and it helps us a lot in the middle," Rana said during the press conference.

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"Like today he gave the bowlers a free hand, to find the length to bowl depending on the wicket, and not to try too many things," he added.

Rana (3/24 in 3.1 overs) played a crucial role in the win by taking three wickets while defending a target of 235.
"KKR read the wicket very well. The areas we had to bowl, we targeted the right places," Rana said.

The biggest buy of the league, Mitchell Starc has been underwhelming in the IPL 2024. Pacer Harshit Rana said that the management is not bothered with his economy and has faith in the Australian pacer.

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"We have not cared even for a bit on how expensive Mitchell Starc has been in IPL 2024. He have full faith in him and he won us the last game and we have no doubts on him whatsoever.

"He has such a great influence on the younger players, he has such a huge wealth of knowledge," Rana said.

Rana said his dream is to play for India and is focussing on his performance. "My aim is to play for India but whatever franchise I play for I try to give my best on the day of the match. I will be selected based on my performance and performance alone," Rana said.

Kolkata Knight Riders' star all-rounder Sunil Narine yet again delivered a stunning performance. Following his 81-run knock which came in just 39 deliveries, Lucknow Supper Giants pacer Navven Ul Haq said that all their plans failed against Narine.

"I think he played quite well. We had a plan of bowling bouncers and yorkers and mixing it up and not being predictable against him. We did that but he played quite a brilliant innings to be honest," he said.

"It wasn't like he was slogging and everything was going top edge or anything like slicing the ball. He was properly middling it and that's the case like from the beginning of the season. "He's been middling it. Everything going his way. So yeah, it was a great knock by him." The Afghan seamer said LSG could have produced a better show with the bat but they can't dwell on defeat too much as they need to focus on the next game.

"The amount of games that we have played in Lucknow, I think this was the best wicket to bat on. We did not do the things in the chase that we did - say in the game at Chepauk, where the target was very high. It was not like bad or anything, there was nothing for the bowlers," Naveen said.

"Pressure is always there on whatever score you are chasing. Every team has a bad day, and we cannot keep focusing on that, we have to move on."

(With PTI Inputs)