IPL 2021 in UAE: Loss to Knights not a concern for Delhi Capitals coach Pravin Amre

Kolkata: Delhi Capitals, who have ensured a IPL play-off spot with 16 points in the bag and three more matches to go, encountered their first loss in five matches in Sharjah on Tuesday - but the team management sees no reason to worry at it.

“We know that there will be ups and downs in the IPL and we know that we are going to have matches like this one. However, the coaching group was very happy with the effort put in by the entire team in this match,’’ remarked Pravin Amre, assistant coach of the franchise.

‘‘After being in a difficult situation, Rishabh Pant played till the last over of the innings which helped us get a fighting total on the board. And even while bowling, the players fought very well and ensured that the chase wasn’t a cakewalk for KKR,” said Amre.

The Delhi batting line-up struggled on the slow surface in Sharjah and posted a total of 127 for nine in their 20 overs before the Kolkata Knight Riders chased down the score in 18.2 overs.

Looking at the positives from the match, Amre said: “Avesh Khan put up an extraordinary performance and Axar Patel bowled very well. The latter conceded only seven runs in 17 balls apart from being hit for a six off his second delivery in the innings. These are the positives from the game. We could see that the players can perform under pressure.”

A mentor to the likes of Shreyas Iyer and Prithvi Shaw, the two Mumbai-based batsmen who are pillars of Capitals’ batting strength, Amre added that the loss against the Knights will motivate the players to put in even more effort in the upcoming games, “When you lose, you pull your socks up for the upcoming games and that’s what our mindset is going to be. Every game is important and we will give our 100 percent for each and every game.”

The Delhi Capitals will take on Mumbai Indians in their next match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah on Saturday (October 2, 2021).