New Delhi, March 27 The former Australian all-rounder praised Quinton de Kock's scintillating unbeaten 97, which guided Kolkata Knight Riders to a comfortable chase against Rajasthan Royals, describing his knock as vintage and beautifully executed.
After spin twins Varun Chakaravarthy (2-17) and Moeen Ali's (2-23) brilliance, in the absence of Sunil Narine, restricted RR to 151/9. De Kock's unbeaten 61-ball 97, an innings that included eight fours and six sixes, ensured that KKR rushed towards the target in just 17.3 overs at the Barsapara Stadium on Wednesday night.
"It was definitely a comfortable chase, and Quinton de Kock was simply outstanding tonight. That was vintage Quinton de Kock - the kind of brilliance we've seen over the last 10 to 15 years, whether in the IPL or on the international stage. He executed his shots beautifully.
"That pull shot he played off Jofra Archer over mid-wicket - my goodness - it was a testament to the sublime form he's in. This performance will give KKR tremendous confidence, knowing they have such explosive firepower in their middle order. It’s a significant confidence-boosting win for KKR tonight," Watson said on JioHotstar.
Batting first, Rajasthan Royals made a steady start as Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal added 33 for the opening wicket before the former yorked himself in the fourth over. Then, their top order fell to rash shot selection as RR went from 67/1 to 82/5 in 19 balls.
Dhruv Jurel led a brief fightback, lifting the Royals from 92/5 in 13 overs to 131/6 in 18. He fell in the penultimate over, but Archer’s unbeaten 16 off 7 ensured the Royals finished with a total on the board.
Analysing Rajasthan Royals' performance, Watson added, "The Rajasthan Royals batters struggled to find their timing and made a few execution errors, which prevented them from putting up a big total. A major difference was the calibre and quality of KKR’s spin attack.
"Varun Chakravarthy and Moeen Ali bowled exceptionally well, whereas Rajasthan’s bowlers, particularly in the middle overs, lacked the potency we've seen from them in the past. This made things a lot easier for Quinton de Kock - he was patient, waiting for loose deliveries, and didn’t take unnecessary risks. With his wide range of shots, he can accelerate quickly when he's at his best."
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