New Delhi: Kolkata Knight Riders produced a stunning display with the ball as Royal Challengers were all out for 49, the lowest ever total recorded in IPL, and lost the match by a comprehensive 82-run margin while chasing 132.
Speaking about the victory, Gautam Gambhir revealed how a 'fuming' dressing room talk post first innings helped KKR secure a record breaking victory in his column for Hindustan Times.
“For the first time in my seven years with KKR I was fuming,” he wrote.
“As the innings break was nearing the end I got the entire team together. There may be 60-odd thousand roaring outside our dressing room, but inside it was so silent that you could hear people think! I started speaking and let go of all I had. I wanted intensity from my teammates. I wanted them to fight. I wanted them to win. I told them whoever dropped on intent should understand that this could be his last game for KKR, at least in my captaincy.
“I have never imposed myself but the batting collapse hurt me,” he added. “I thought that we were not taking enough pride. I don’t know whether TV cameras or microphones caught it but we were chirping all the time when RCB were batting.”
The 'Big Three' Kohli (154 from 4 matches), Chris Gayle (144 from 5 games) and AB de Villiers (145 from 4 games) have not been consistent in the tournament.
KKR's Nathan Coulter-Nile, in only his second game for Kolkata, finished with 3 for 21 to be crowned man of the match.
The Knight Riders next face a revamped Rising Pune Supergiants squad on Wednesday, and Gambhir will be expecting nothing less than a similar effort from his boys why they take on the Steve Smith-led side.
