Kings XI Punjab fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell was pleased with his performance but rued the fact that his efforts could not help his team win the game, after his side lost to the Mumbai Indians by 48 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL), on Thursday, 1 October.
“My comeback was excellent from my part (bowling a wicket-maiden after coming from giving away 30 runs in an over). My confidence was always there but wish that my performance could have helped Kings XI get over the line.”
Bowling the first over of Mumbai Indians’ innings, the left-arm pacer showed an outstanding exhibition of swing bowling and clipped out their opener Quinton de Kock, without giving away a single run in that over.
On his team’s middle-order failure, Cottrell said that they all have days like this and that they will bounce back from this. Amplifying his skipper KL Rahul’s comments, he said that they could have easily been at three wins in four games but unfortunately, they have won only one.
Nicholas Pooran and Glenn Maxwell had done the hard work to grind and stitch a partnership but after losing Pooran in the 14th over, KXIP’s innings just crashed. After being at 101-3 in 13.1 overs, they slipped to 124-8 in 18.3 overs, losing five wickets for just 23 runs in 32 balls.
When asked about KXIP’s tactics of him finishing his quota of four overs within 13 overs and off-spinner Gowtham bowling the final over of MI’s innings, Cottrell said that he backs his skipper to the hilt on whatever decision he takes. “It didn’t work today unfortunately, on another day, it will work, I’m sure.”
On the team’s decision to bowl first and the decision at the toss, the 31-year old from Jamaica said that toss is a 50-50 thing and at the end of the day, you have to play good cricket in whatever you choose to do at the toss.
On Kings XI’s death bowling woes, Cottrell said that he has been working hard on his death bowling skills. “Unfortunately, it isn’t coming together right now, but we are getting there, it’s just a matter of time.”
KXIP gave away 62 runs in the last three over of the Mumbai innings and have given runs at over 14 per over in the death overs in this year’s IPL.
Kings XI Punjab next face the Chennai Super Kings in Dubai, on Sunday, 4 October.
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