"Nitish Rana knew that RCB's batsmen don't have a good record against spin"- Former Indian cricketer hails KKR captain after win vs RCB

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has lauded Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Nitish Rana after they beat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their own den by 21 runs on Wednesday.

Defending totals at the Chinnaswamy has never been easy, but Pathan credited Rana for the way the latter rotated his spinners and didn't let RCB batters get any momentum in their chase.

Speaking to Star Sports after the game, Irfan Pathan shed light on Nitish Rana introducing young Suyash Sharma in the powerplay and how that worked against Faf du Plessis. He said:

"Nitish Rana's captaincy has to be commended. It was a smart move to bring in Suyash Sharma in the third over after being in the attack against his strike bowlers. Rana knew that RCB's batsmen don't have a good record against spin in the powerplay and that's why he brought in Suyash. He got success and an impact player got out another impact player."

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Apart from Nitish Rana, experts also praised Devon Conway

Former Australian legendary opener Matthew Hayden was also present in the discussion and he spoke about how well Devon Conway has performed for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Hayden feels that Conway has been sensational in the way he has accelerated in the powerplay, allowing Ruturaj Gaikwad to play himself in. On this, he stated:

"Initially I was worried about Devon Conway as he was taking some time in the powerplay while Ruturaj Gaikwad was playing the aggressor. But in the last few games, Conway has shifted the gears. At the start of the season, the opening partnership for CSK was going hot and cold but now there is consistency. Good to see that Conway, being a senior player, taking the leadership role."

CSK will face the Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur and will look to maintain their lead at the top of the table.