We never lost the belief in our own abilities – http://www.senore.com/Cricket/BB-McCullum-c1129 – Cricket News Update
Kolkata Knight Riders’ New Zealand recruit, Brendon McCullum, on Sunday said that they remained a calm side all through the 2012 IPL, and the attitude paid dividends in the end, in the form of a maiden IPL title.
"Pretty satisfied. We have had four hard years...We have been relaxed the whole way through. We never lost the belief in our own abilities,” said the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 wicketkeeper batsman after Kolkata sealed a title clinching five-wicket win over Chennai Super
Kings at Chepauk on Sunday.
After electing to bat first, the hosts rode on hefty half-century knocks from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/JH-Kallis-c1692 did it quite comfortably for the Knight Riders, courtesy
a 136-run stand shared between the duo for the second wicket.
McCullum, who was rested for the grand finale in order to accommodate http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lakshmipathy-Balaji-c72130, said that a 190 plus target was a huge one to chase in the pressure game.
“To come out in tough conditions and chase 195 against CSK is very satisfying. People back in Kolkata and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bengal-c771 will be proud of us,” the New Zealander added further.
Bisla, who was drafted in for McCullum, validated his selection, scoring a match-winning 89 off just 48 balls.
Meanwhile, the explosive http://www.senore.com/Cricket/YK-Pathan-c2815, who became the first player to win the IPL title with two franchises – Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, compared KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir’s captaincy to Shane Warne's, the former captain
of his previous IPL franchise http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rajasthan-c837 Royals.
Speaking to the media reporters after his team clinched their maiden IPL title with a five-wicket win over defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the tournament final on Sunday night, Pathan credited Gambhir for the achievement saying that the KKR skipper
supports the players a lot which keeps them motivated to perform.
Besides his apt captaincy, Gambhir has led the side from the front with the bat as well finishing the 2012 season at the top of Kolkata’s run chart with a tally of 590 runs.
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