IPL 2016: Glad to have hit the winning shot, says Ajinkya Rahane

Rising Pune Supergiants batsman Ajinkya Rahane said that he is glad to have hit the winning shot for his side during the match against Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday.

Rahane smashed seven boundaries to make an unbeaten 63 off 48 balls, which helped RPSG chase down a target of 163 runs and win by seven wickets. Usman Khawaja (30), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (27) and Saurabh Tiwary (21) also contributed significantly.

"I am feeling happy at the moment, especially tonight because I was there till the end and that's what I wanted to do, play that winning shot for my team. The coming five games are very important and it will be important to play one game at a time and give our best in each and every game," he said.

Rahane said that the other batsmen helped execute the team strategy perfectly. "I am really happy the way I batted. Our plan was that one batsman has to be there till the end and it was my day today. So I am happy that I made it count. First six overs were very important because the ball was coming very nicely on to the bat and after that it was getting slower and slower. So after the first six overs, I decided that if I bat till 15th or 16th over we had a good chance to win and that's what I did.

And later on partnerships with Dhoni and Thisara and Saurabh in between, was very good, and the 59-run partnership at top of the order with Usman was very important."

The 27-year-old opener also praised his bowlers and said that they performed efficiently in the middle overs.

RSPG ended their losing streak by winning the match against DD. They had lost six of their first eight matches and were struggling at the bottom of the table. Facing a tough challenge after the exit of several injured big-hitters, the win against DD saved them from a debacle.

Rahane stressed on the fact that the team should focus on one match at a time to get back on track. "It feels nice to win a game. For us each and every game from now on is important. As I said not to look to far ahead, take it one game at a time and give our very best," said Rahane.

Despite the victory, RPSG are currently at the sixth spot on the table and have six points from nine games. They will be taking on the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium on Saturday.