TNPL 2016: Malolan Rangarajan - VB Thiruvallur Veerans believed the total could be defended

VB Thiruvallur Veerans captain Malolan Rangarajan addressed the media after his team scripted a thrilling six-run win against the Madurai Super Giants in the India Cements TN Premier League at NPR College Ground, Dindigul.

Your thoughts on the 19th over by R Rohit?The 19th over was the turning point of the match, no doubt about it. The best part about the 19th over was — one, of course, hats off to Rohit and two, we had a plan. We were able to execute every ball to perfection, which is very difficult. He was able to do it (bowl according to plan) at will.

When we said yorker, he was able to bowl one and when we said slower one, he could pull that off too at the right length. So that was something amazing and yes that changed the game. In the last four-five overs, you are bound to go at 10 runs per over. I was having a constant look at the required run rate and as soon as it showed nine, I was confident I could strangle them (Madurai team). But the belief was always there.

Do you feel you weren’t able to capitalise in the last four-five overs, when you were batting, even after the platform was set?Yes, we had scored a below par total, but I believed that it was enough and that it was a defendable total. We are going to surprise people as the tournament progresses with a lot of youngsters.

Describe the two wins in the tournamentThe good thing about both our victories is the manner with which we won the matches. One was because of the total domination of one batsman (Baba Aparajith). The way he played that innings would bring down the confidence of any team.

Today, there were doubts about how we are going to handle Apar’s (Aparajith’s) absence. But I am glad we surprised many today and I don’t have enough words to express how well the boys played today keeping in mind the crowd. We had my parents, my wife and the owners who were supporting us in the ground.

Who do you think was able to take Aparajith’s place today?Like I said earlier, it is tough to replace a player of his calibre. I just asked each one to play their own game and didn’t put any pressure on the boys.

The important thing for me is that VB Thiruvallur Veerans should play an aggressive brand of cricket and instill fear in the minds of the opposition. I am more than happy they delivered what I asked from them.

Shijit Chandran and Varun Narender had the chase sorted. What was running through your mind at that point of time?The belief that we can defend this total was always there but I was only trying to figure out how I am going to do it. When we were bowling, I thought it was a spinner’s wicket and thought we could get help from spinners.

As soon as I got one good over from Lakshmi Naryanan, I realised that batsmen were easily playing the spinners. At that point of the time, I decided that the situation demanded me to bowl my medium pace bowlers even though me and Rahil (Shah) are the prime bowlers for our team. It was a big call from me.

Again, unknown quantities, Lakshmi Narayanan and Jagannath (Sinivas) went for very less in their combined eight overs. I had to take the call and that worked for the team.

This is your first win as captain..

I am obviously very happy, but I was also a little nervous. If today I have got my first win as a captain, it is all credit to the boys — all the 19 players including Aparajith in Noida. He called me yesterday and asked, “Anna (Tamil for brother), what are you going to do, whom are we going to pick in the team etc.”

He is contributing, even though he is not present physically. So right from the support staff to the owners, the encouragement has been amazing.

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We have good plans but are falling short when it comes to execution: Shijith Chandran

Madurai Super Giants All-Rounder Shijith Chandran addressed the media after the team’s loss to VB Thiruvallur Veerans in the India Cements Tamil Nadu Premier League on Monday.

After 10 overs, your team was 72/1 and the match was in your control. Where do you think things went wrong?I’m not sure what is going wrong, somewhere we are lacking. We should focus on our team goals, maybe we are lacking in that. We have good plans but we are lacking in executing them so maybe in the next game it will come off better.

On the loss of wickets

The wicket became a bit slower but they bowled really well. We can’t take that away from them. They executed their slower ones, yorkers, and the very good 19th over from Rohit. So we have to plan something and try to get a win.

Did you think you had a chance till Rohit’s penultimate over?That’s the pressure of T20 cricket. Last two overs scoring twenty runs since a lot of us have not executed it before. Maybe the pressure got to us and there were some flaws.

What was the turning point of the match?The loss of my wicket could be one turning point. Also, Suresh is an experienced player so maybe if his wicket hadn’t fallen of the second ball in the 19th over. Then the pressure would have been on the bowlers. Suresh’s wicket proved to be the vital one.