Eoin Morgan
Eoin Morgan. (Photo: IPL)

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Eoin Morgan had a beaming smile at the post-match presentation after his side all but confirmed their entry into the playoffs. It has been a spectacular turnaround from the Kolkata side after being in seventh place before the UAE leg of IPL 2021 began.

Batting first, KKR set a target of 172 for Rajasthan Royals (RR) courtesy of a well-measured Shubman Gill and some lower-order cameos. The bowlers then did a splendid job to restrict RR to a paltry 85 which boosted their net run rate massively.

Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill scored a fifty against RR. (Credits: IPL)

I don’t think it could have got better. Losing the toss and batting was difficult. The start we got was fantastic. Gill and Iyer have been our shining light. To get 170 we thought was in a commanding position. A really strong performance today. Having aggressive players coming in in the middle order helped us kick,” Morgan said.

“We did everything tonight, we deserved to win” – Eoin Morgan

The skipper further asserted that the batting and bowling department was up to the mark and KKR deserved to win their final league game. Morgan also praised Shakib Al Hasan who has filled in the giant shoes of Andre Russell.

Kolkata Knight Riders, KKR
Kolkata Knight Riders. (Credits: KKR/Twitter)

Shakib coming in and performing the way he has in the last two games has made replacing Andre Russell easier. He has contributed massively. We are taking it day by day [with Russell], so he’s working incredibly hard. Fingers crossed. I am not too attached to things as to what will happen and what won’t happen. We have done everything tonight. We deserved to win,” Morgan concluded.

The win took KKR’s net run rate up to +0.59 which happens to be the best in the league. If Mumbai Indians are to challenge it, they need a miracle and more.

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