Kolkata Knight Riders captain Shreyas Iyer has shared details of his conversation with Harshit Rana before the last over of the IPL 2024 match against SunRisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens on Saturday (March 23). Iyer stated that he assured the youngster of his full support, regardless of the outcome.
Rana, who had already dismissed Mayank Agarwal in his earlier spell, was tasked with defending 13 runs in the final over. With the target reduced to six runs off the last four deliveries, the 22-year-old claimed two wickets in the next three balls as the Knight Riders secured victory by four runs.
During the post-match presentation, Iyer expressed full confidence in Rana’s ability to succeed.
“To be honest, in the last over I thought anything could happen. But I had that belief in him. I knew that something [good] would happen. This is the time where he could become a hero. That’s what I told him. ‘Back yourself. No matter what happens in this situation, we’re going to back you‘.”
The Knight Riders had a comfortable lead at one point, with the SunRisers requiring 78 runs from 27 deliveries. However, Heinrich Klaasen’s aggressive batting propelled them back into contention while chasing a target of 209.
“He told me that he wanted the last over” – Andre Russell thoughts on Harshit Rana
Andre Russell, the all-rounder who scored an unbeaten 64 off 25 balls, praised Harshit Rana’s demeanor in the last over, particularly after conceding a six off the first delivery. The Jamaican remarked, as reported by ESPN Cricinfo:
“I think his body language was on point in the last over; he wanted the ball. That is the body language we all need as professionals. If he was shying away from it, it could have gone their way.”
“He told me that he wanted the last over. So he claimed it and he did deliver for us. With the first ball gone for six, still there was some doubt there, but you know he came back strong and he got the job done.”
Next up, Kolkata will take on the Royal Challengers Bangalore on Friday, March 29th.
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