Kolkata: Gautam Gambhir, captain of the Delhi Daredevils, spoke to the media after his team’s 14-run loss to the Kolkata Knight Riders. Here are some excerpts from the media interactions.
Excerpts:
On Sourav Ganguly’s performance in IPL
Well his records speak for him, don’t they? I think he is a class act and has done enough at the international level that I really don’t need to say anything about him. I think all credit goes to the Kolkata Knight Riders.
On his reaction to dot balls in T20 as a batsman and as a fielding captain
As a batsman it adds more pressure because you are playing T20 - you more or less try to get after the bowler and once you are chasing 180, you don’t want a dot ball. As a fielding skipper that is the best thing, you always telling the bowlers to bowl dot balls. I feel that in a way the bowler puts pressure on you as a batsman if you are playing a lot of dot balls, […] I think as a batsman you feel pressure but as a fielding captain when your bowlers bowl dot balls, it’s the best thing a captain could ask for.
On whether there is pressure on both ends in a partnership
I think you play in partnerships. If you want to play the game, [it] is all about partnership rather than one batsman going after the bowling as we saw today. As you must have seen, Sehwag and I got […] a good partnership [going]. It’s all about partnerships. At that point of time, a dot ball puts a lot of pressure on the batsmen [who are] always try to rotate the strike [playing] boundary and sixes [is not always possible]. In a partnership you tend to face a lot of dot-balls. [It] definitely puts extra pressure on you as a batsman as well, there is no doubt about it. You just have 120 balls to face.
On Delhi’s performance and his captaincy
When I bat, I bat as a batsman. When I field, I field. But when I am batting, it’s all about me as a batsman because you […] don’t want to put any extra pressure on yourself. You just have to go out there and bat freely just as a batsman would do. Obviously when I got run out I always thought that could be the turning point of the game because we were right on the game. I felt worried [about the] runs. After 10 overs, we were 90 plus - we were much behind what we were thinking [scoring at that stage]. I always felt [my] run out could be a turning point and [that is what] happened.
On what the turning point of the game was
I think we had won four games in a row and it was just one of those bad days. And as I said, my run out was the turning point of the game. It is part of the game and today was a bad day.
On Dilshan not being part of the playing XI
I think we always felt we could have him as a wicket-keeping option - he has experience in international cricket, he can bowl in the first innings, he can bowl in the death - he has always done. [Farveez] Maharoof played equally well on the Delhi wicket, winning four games. I don’t think we need to panic [about] missing any one out of Dirk Nannes or AB de Villiers. I think we still are trying to get the best eleven out on the park and this does not make a difference. It is just one of the bad days that happen.
On whether KKR’s fielding made the difference
I think you need to do all the three things to the best of your ability. You have only 120 balls. I personally feel that the way Sourav [Ganguly] was fielding and the way they managed to get two run outs, it really turned the game in their favour. I think it played a big part in today’s game.
On having played KKR before and whether the side seemed more motivated this time
It’s always a motivation when you play IPL. I don’t think so there is more motivation playing us in their backyard […]
On the difference in this encounter between the sides as opposed to the previous one
Yes there is a difference, we batted first in Delhi and they batted first here and they managed to get 180 [plus] whereas we [fell short]. As I said conceding 180 it gets difficult, that’s the only difference. I don’t think there is anything about the motivation part.
On the success of the older players in the young man’s format
A class player is a class player. They have performed in all three forms of the game, you just need to have the ability. And a class player is a class player if he can adapt to the different forms as soon as possible. And you can see it in the way Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar - all these greats have played so far. Definitely, I think Twenty20, its all about the ability and not form. That’s why I feel a class player is a class player and definitely can adapt to all the three forms of the game.
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