New Delhi: Kolkata Knight Riders' vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav said that skipper Gautam Gambhir had a big role in promoting Chris Lynn up the order after watching his meaty blows during team's training session at the Eden Gardens.
"From the time Chris Lynn joined the KKR camp in Kolkata, the skipper told him that he will be opening the innings. So it wasn't an instinctive decision but a pre-planned move," Surya told mediapersons after the match.
This match featured two of the four best opening partnerships in the IPL, Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa had scored 1478 runs in 39 innings at an average of 37.89 while Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith have made 1257 runs in 34 innings at an average of 36.97. But KKR skipper still decided to take the bold call and it indeed paid off as they claimed a stunning 10-wicket win with a record-breaking 184-run first wicket partnership.
Any team targets a solid start to the tournament and it was no different for the KKR.
"It was a big total as both sides playing first match of the tournament and 183 wan't an easy target on any wicket", he said.
Surya said that Sunil Narine and Kuldeep Yadav needed to be played as they bring in different varieties.
"Spinners are our strength. Both our spinners (Kuldeep Yadav and Sunil Narine) are very good spinners and keeping anyone out of the game would not be a good for their confidence.
(With PTI inputs)
