Published: May 08, 2017, 12:06 PM (IST)
Edited: May 08, 2017, 12:06 PM (IST)
Hashim Amla has been in sublime form in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017. Nonetheless, his efforts have gone in vain as both his hundreds ended in a losing cause. The Kings XI Punjab‘s (KXIP) opener notched up his first ton of the season against Mumbai Indians (MI) only to be overshadowed by Jos Buttler’s blitz. Against Gujarat Lions (GL), Dwayne Smith and Dinesh Karthik’s valiant efforts eclipsed Amla’s heroics to seal the deal, in Mohali on Sunday. KXIP posted a big score, but poor fielding led to their downfall. Amla stated that with so much T20 cricket being played, batsmen — traditional or modern-day — have found a way to score runs at a brisk rate. He also defended his troops, who have generally been good on the field, after dropping three catches during GL’s chase. Full Cricket Scorecard, Kings XI Punjab vs Gujarat Lions, IPL 2017, Match 47
Amla is the highest run-scorer for KXIP in the ongoing edition. With 420 runs, he stands at the fourth spot in the Orange Cap list. However, most of his efforts have not been complimented well by the bowling and fielding unit. “Obviously it is very disappointing. 190 was a very pretty decent score, but credit goes to Gujarat. They played positively and negated the advantage we had early on. Happy to get some runs. What else can I say (laughs)? But everybody who plays T20 cricket has to find a way to maximise each ball they face. One can succeed in T20 without looking agricultural. I think over the 10 years of IPL and T20 cricket around the world, guys are becoming lot more accommodating for players like us”, Amla said as quoted by iplt20.com.
Gurkeerat Singh Mann and David Miller dropped a few easy catches that dearly cost the home side in the end. Talking about the half chances, Amla stated, “Dropped catches are a part of the game. We have been good on the field. It’s going to happen now and then. Before this game, we have done exceptionally well. The guys who dropped catches are brilliant fielders, so it is natural. They are allowed to drop some. Unfortunately, it did not go in our favour.”
