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IPL 2019: ‘All-time great’ MS Dhoni biggest reason behind CSK’s dominance: KKR’s Simon Katich
IPL 2019: If one looks at the performance of all the teams over the years, CSK stand out with their consistency. Katich singled out Dhoni and the senior players in the team as the reason behind CSK’s success.
Kolkata Knight Riders will look to get their campaign back to winning ways when they take on struggling Royal Challengers Bangalore on Friday. KKR started the season with back-to-back victories at home before losing out in a super over to Delhi Capitals. In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, assistant coach Simon Katich said the team is happy with the start to the season.
“We have got some confidence with the early wins at home, that’s very important. Specially the one against Sunrisers, who are a very good team. Specially to come from nowhere and win the match. Disappointing to lose in the super over against Delhi but they deserved to win. We couldn’t finish it off when we had the chance,” the former Australian opener said.
Asked how does the team management prepare the players for the climax of a super over and what are the reasons behind the choice of players, Katich said the decision is based on the performance of the players on the given day.
“You have to decide on the basis of who has done well on that day. So you would go for guys who have scored runs on the wicket and done well.You need to be flexible in the choices as you might want three guys for the super over but if they haven’t have a great day then you have to think otherwise.
“It gets tricky while selecting the bowler. We had Kuldeep who bowled a great last over and kept us in the contest and then you have to weigh it against whether to bowl a spinner in the super over. Eventually Karthik trusted Prasidh Krishna to do the job” the Aussie, who has been with KKR since 2015, said.
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Asked if the team is over dependent on all-rounder Andre Russell, Katich admitted the Caribbean star has been the stand out player for the franchise so far.
“There is no doubt he has been magnificent in the three games so far, but he has also got support. If you look through our batting line-up the likes of Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana and Dinesh Karthik have all contributed. But Andre has been the stand out player.”
Russell has had a major impact on KKR’s fortunes ever since he has joined the franchise. He also played a key role in Windies’ WT20 triumph in 2016. Katich agreed that Russell is already one of the greatest players to have played the format.
“His skill-set is ideal for T20 cricket. He has got the power with the bat and also the ability to pick wickets and bowl in all phases of the match. What has been impressive about his season so far is the focus with which he is going into matches and contributions in team meetings and the consistency with the bat that he has showed. If he continues this way he will be very hard to bowl to.”
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Kolkata Knight Riders have won two IPL titles and are behind Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians in terms the number of titles won. But if one looks at the performance of all the teams over the years, CSK stand out with their consistency. Katich singled out Dhoni and the senior players in the team as the reason behind CSK’s success.
“There isn’t any difference except for winning the big moments that CSK did last season. They have a lot of experienced players in their team who stood up in the big games and are led by the all-time great in MS Dhoni.
“We also have a lot of senior players and we hope they will share the experience with the juniors and show them how to win a title this season.”
Talking about what makes IPL stand out among all the T20 leagues, Katic said,“It is the best of the best. The best players want to come here and show how well they can play in these conditions. This produces the best cricket and all the teams can win on their day but only one is crowned champion and I hope it will be us this season.”
Asked to predict which teams could win the upcoming ICC World Cup, Katich had three teams in mind.
I think it will be a great World Cup. Having it in England will add a different dimension. I think conditions are going to play a big part, given that it is June-July. If it is a hot and dry summer like last year then some Indian spinners and those from other teams will get a look in.
“India will certainly be up there, they have a well balanced side. England have been in great ODI form and have players like Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes who can win a match on their own. They have a dynamic batting line up and they bat deep.
“Can’t underestimate Australia as well and they are hitting their straps at the right time. Expect these teams to be there at the back end of the tournament,” the former Australian cricketer signed off.
