Champions are always part of champion teams: Yusuf

Batsman speaks about KKR’s campaign and their victory over a tough KXIP side

It was the third time in seven seasons that Yusuf Pathan was part of the team that lifted the Indian Premier League trophy. The Kolkata Knight Riders big-hitting batsman struck four sixes during his 22-ball 36-run cameo in the 71-run partnership for the third wicket with Manish Pandey.

During his team’s successful chase of a challenging 200-run target in the Pepsi IPL 2014 Final against Kings XI Punjab, Yusuf took the attack to the bowlers, while Pandey smashed a brilliant 94 off 50 balls. While talking to IPLT20.com after the nail-biting finish, the soft-spoken Knight Rider talked about his team’s journey to the title, and the run-chase in the Final.

Excerpts from his interview:

Talk us through your partnership with Manish Pandey where he was also looking to give you the strike?

I was striking the ball well and the partnership was also going well. I think if the shot had come off, we would have probably won the game with two overs to spare. Since I was striking the ball, he was trying to give me the strike. We were picking which ball to hit and which not to, because the wicket was good and the outfield was also quick. We were looking for one big over. We knew if we get one big over, then the game would have tilted in our favour.

Given the situation, would you say it was important to take risks as well?

Yes, definitely. It was as important to take the risks as well as playing watchfully, and we handled both aspects well. We played aggressive cricket where needed and were careful when required. At the end of the day, it was a good effort.

What were you telling yourself while batting?

When I was at the wicket, I knew that even if I play six dot-balls, I can hit 25 runs in another over. Besides, Manish was batting well at the other end. So, we were supporting each other and we said that we would try and hit the ball in the right areas.

What was it like in the dugout when Suryakumar Yadav also got out and KKR were seven wickets down?

We had full faith in Piyush Chawla that he would win us the game. He is a good cricketer and scores well in domestic cricket as well.

You are part of an IPL winning team once again. How does it feel?

Obviously, it feels very good. I am feeling great and now I have been part of a trophy-winning team thrice, and each time my parents have been watching from the stands. I feel proud that I have been part three title wins and that I am part of a champion team. Champions are always part of champion teams.

How would you sum up KKR’s campaign?

It was unbelievable! We have played very good cricket. At the top of the line-up, Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir have given good starts to win the tournament. No matter what the target is, if you don’t get a good start in the first six overs, then it is difficult to win a match. And they have done that for us. And whoever got the opportunity to stay at the crease played well and the bowlers performed well too. As a team, we did what needed to be done to win in every area. We played to our strengths and didn’t think too much about our negatives. We have a lot of positives in our team and we worked on those and continued to play, the result of which is in front of you.

Will savour this moment for a long time: Shakib

KKR all-rounder wants to take his time basking in his IPL glory

Rewind the clock to the 2012 IPL Final. Nine required off the last over – Manoj Tiwary and Shakib Al Hasan are in the middle. The Chennai Super Kings are in a long meeting amidst the tension, Tiwary has a blank look on his face, Shakib is on his haunches. Four deliveries later, KKR are crowned champions. Flash forward to 2014 – Shakib sure knows a thing or two when it comes to a steep run-chase in a grand finale, in the final over. The only difference is, this time he was in the dugout and not at the non-striker’s end. As Shakib says, he would have loved to hit the winning runs, but he was more than satisfied that his team was crowned champions for the second time.

Excerpts from his interview: 

You just can’t stop smiling, can you?

(Laughs) An IPL victory – two times in three years – I can’t feel better than this. I wasn’t there last year for the Kolkata Knight Riders; maybe that is the reason we lost (chuckles). There were a lot of ups and down in the tournament this year, but the way we stuck together as a unit was amazing.

A big run-chase in the Final; did it bring back memories of 2012? 

I wanted to bat till the end for my team and would have loved to be in the middle when the winning run was hit, just like in 2012. I did not finish the game, but it didn’t matter as long as we won at the end of it. This is a team sport and no matter who contributes, if we are on the winning side, we are more than happy.

Was the team confident of chasing that target of 200?

To be honest, I was very confident of the run-chase. We were scoring briskly from the first over and had a good score at the end of 10 overs. We had scored at a healthy run-rate and we backed ourselves to get the rest of the runs. The only way we could have lost was if we would have lost too many wickets in a hurry. We never got behind the required run-rate and we knew we had enough players in the team who would contribute and win the match for us.

Chasing 191 in 2012 and 200 in 2014 – what is with KKR and these huge run-chases?

(Laughs) We hope we win in 2015 as well, but don’t have to chase such a huge total every time in the Final. We would be more than happy if we have to chase down somewhere close to 160 (chuckles).

And what a day for Manish Pandey to get a big one!

Absolutely! The way Manish Pandey batted and paced his innings was remarkable. There was a talk in the dressing room that he was long due for a big one, and what a day he chose to come to the party.

What has been the highlight of the victories in 2012 and 2014?

If you look at 2012 and 2014, both victories in the Final were a result of consistent performances on the trot. We had a lot of wins in succession in 2012 as well, and this year, we sprung up nine consecutive victories. It is an excellent performance by the entire team. I don’t want to compare the two victories, I just want to enjoy this moment and savour it for a long time.