Hyderabad, May 3 All-rounder Rovman Powell credited Kolkata Knight Riders’ disciplined bowling and sharp fielding effort after they bowled out Sunrisers Hyderabad for 165 in 19 overs, while also highlighting the importance of executing plans against SRH’s strong top order.
“We know they are very good with the top 3-4 batters. Our plans were to put pressure on them. They got away from us, but we tried our best to stick with the game,” Powell said after the innings.
SRH had raced to a strong start with Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma attacking early, helping the hosts reach 71/1 in the powerplay. Head led the charge with a quickfire 61 off 28 balls, putting KKR bowlers under pressure in the initial overs.
However, KKR fought back through their spin attack, with Varun Chakaravarthy turning the game around in the middle overs. The mystery spinner picked up three key wickets, including that of Head, to derail SRH’s momentum.
“Our spinners are our strength. Good to see Chakaravarthy back among the wickets. Always knew he would come good at some point in the competition,” Powell added.
The turning point came when Powell himself pulled off a stunning catch in the deep to dismiss Heinrich Klaasen, who was looking dangerous. Klaasen managed only 11 runs before being sent back.
Reflecting on the catch, Powell explained his positioning and approach in the field. “Those things happen when you have good hands. When you have good hands, you just need to get close to the ball, and it will stick more often than not.
“The funny thing is when you're fielding in those positions, and the field is a little big, you have to come off the rope a little bit. I was about 5-10 meters off the boundary. I didn't want it to go over my head, and I also didn't want him to just hit the ball and push two. So I come off a little bit and ensure that I give myself enough time to run back and take the catch,” he said.
KKR continued to chip away with wickets as Sunil Narine and Kartik Tyagi picked up two wickets each, while Ishan Kishan top-scored for SRH with 42 off 29 balls.
Powell also underlined the importance of fielding in supporting the bowlers on a good batting surface. “We always talk about using our fielding to help our bowlers. As they hit the ball in the air, hit the ball to the fielder, we have to take those catches because the wickets are very good.”
Assessing the total, Powell felt SRH had fallen short on a batting-friendly pitch. “It’s a below-par total. It’s a good wicket. When the ball gets old, it’s a little bit harder, but still it’s a good wicket,” he said.
KKR eventually bundled out SRH for 165 in 19 overs, recovering well after the early onslaught to put themselves in a strong position in the match.
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