The most high pressure game till date, says Suryakumar Yadav after steering Knight Riders' chase

Suryakumar Yadav – Photo courtesy: BCCI

Suryakumar Yadav of Kolkata Knight Riders has termed his team’s hard fought win against Perth Scorchers on Wednesday as the “most high pressure game” he played in till date. The right-hander also felt relieved to complete his role as a finisher for the first time.

“I feel this has been the most high pressure game I have played till date. I have never played the role of a finisher till date for KKR. I have been trying for quite some time now to finish games for KKR but I was never able to play that role successfully. I tried finishing games in the IPL as well but I was making mistakes,” Yadav was quoted in an interview by clt20.com.

The batsman blasted a 5-ball 14 against Lahore Lions which he refers to as a confidence booster for the bigger role.

“Even in the last game against Lahore Lions, though I had a very small role to play in that run-chase, that innings gave me the confidence that I can play my role to good effect. I carried that confidence into this game which I guess helped us in winning the game,” he added.

Felt pressure after Yusuf Pathan’s exit

When Yusuf Pathan got out in the 18th over of the chase with the equation being 27 off 15, Yadav said that be came nervous. However, he remaind calm, following the words of wisdom by his coach and captain.

"That was the first time I became nervous because we all know that Yusuf Pathan is someone who can take the game away from the opposition from anywhere. At that time I remembered one thing that my captain and the coach had told me - "Whenever you keep calm, you can excel more during nervous situations." That is exactly what I did tonight and the result is there to be seen," mentioned Yadav.

When questioned how he was able to soak up pressure to excel in difficult times, the cricketer said that he do not read much into the scoreboard.

"I just don't think about the situation at that time," he said. "If I know that I have to score 29-odd runs from 11 balls then I have to do it; it is my job. I feel thinking about the pressure situation will only result in adding more pressure on myself. Instead I think about other things like 'what will I do after winning the game', 'what would an experienced player have done if he was in this situation?' I follow that and then take it from there," reveals the 24-year-old.

Mumbai Indians stint helped him to read Coulter-Nile

In the penultimate over bowled by Nathan Coulter-Nile, Yadav all but sealed the game with consecutive sixes of the last two deliveries. When asked to comment on the same, Yadav pointed out to their Mumbai Indians days and his knowledge into the bolwer’s variations.

"I had an idea about his stock balls in the death overs, since I have played him when we both were a part of Mumbai Indians. I knew he had a good yorker and a slower delivery, which he might try and bowl at that point of time. He had bowled a slower bouncer before in that over. He then backed himself and bowled a length ball which had to be hit, so I hit it and it was all over," informed the Mumbai batsman.

“There is still one game to go in the group and we won’t take that game lightly because we have been on a winning spree since the last 12 games. We will try and win the 13th game too and try our best to win the Champions League as well,” he concluded.