IPL champions will look to maintain their perfect record in the group
Final match against Dolphins for Gautam Gambhir led side will be the perfect platform to tune-up his purple brigade ahead of the crucial semifinals
Hyderabad: One has kept a clean slate so far while the other is still searching for a win. Having already qualified for the knockout stage of the Oppo Champions League Twenty20, the Kolkata Knight Riders go into their last Group ‘A’ mismatch against the bottom placed Dolphins with practice on mind here on Monday.
The South African side have been all at sea in the tournament, losing all their group matches to be out of contention. However, KKR are not viewing the Dolphins as easy meat. “We don’t want to make a mistake by even thinking it’s going to be a cakewalk. We are playing good cricket but we have to respect the opposition,” assistant coach Vijay Dahiya said on match eve.
“It’s a T20 game. You cannot take anyone lightly, ever, even if you are in a strong position while the game is on,” Dahiya added.That attitude should stand the IPL champions in good stead, moreso since all of their three victories have not been all that smooth, but bumpy affairs.
Dahiya has a different view though. “We are very happy with the kind of cricket we are playing. The good thing is this team is not dependent on a particular individual. The way we started and where we are today, this is very important.”
That provides Gautam Gambhir the perfect platform to tune-up his purple brigade ahead of the crucial semifinals, both of which, to their advantage, will be contested here. The Knight Riders have had the luxury of playing all their matches at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium and have begun to call it their home ground. “Overall, the wicket has been really, really good here. I think we’ve absolutely enjoyed playing on this ground so far,” a delighted Dahiya said.
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