IPL 2017: Yusuf Pathan says he enjoys fighting back against an aggressive bowler

Yusuf Pathan's prolific knock of 59 and an unbeaten 69 from Manish Pandey, which allowed Kolkata Knight Riders to register a 4-wicket win over Delhi Daredevils.

It was Yusuf Pathan‘s prolific knock of 59 and an unbeaten 69 from Manish Pandey, which allowed two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to register a 4-wicket win over Delhi Daredevils (DD) in Match 18 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017, at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi on Monday. It was Pathan and Pandey’s 110-run stand that allowed Kolkata to pull off a victory after they lost their opening 3 wickets in quick successions. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Delhi Daredevils (DD) vs Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), IPL 2017, Match 18 at Delhi

Speaking about the match, Yusuf was quoted as saying by iplt20.com, “We had a good game plan and it succeeded. We were trying to get a boundary or a six in every over regardless of who the bowler was and to keep rotating the strike. The wicket was good and the partnership was also coming along well. So we were trying to put the bowlers and the captain under pressure so that they commit a mistake and so do the fielders. We backed ourselves. The bowlers were becoming aggressive and I was enjoying that. When the bowler comes aggressively at you, I feel good because [which means] he wants to get me out and that leads to a good contest. I enjoy that contest and fighting back.” IPL 2017: 3 men arrested in Goa on betting charges

Speaking on the Delhi’s bowling and their plans to tackle KKR batsmen, Pathan said, “DD has a good bowling line-up and Zaheer is captaining them really well. His field placement was also really good, but we had to hold ourselves back and stay calm. We discussed that we have to bat according to the way we want to and not to the field that they were placing. We told ourselves that we will play our shots because their field placements were really good; it could confuse the batsman. But we discussed that we shouldn’t get confused, and back ourselves and continue playing our shots whether it is going over the top or along the ground. The wicket was good and the outfield fast, so that too was helpful.” IPL 2017: It was tough to make a comeback after injury, says Coulter-Nile

Talking about his performance in the match which came at a crucial time for KKR, Pathan said, “Obviously whenever the team has needed I have always delivered. I got off to a good start and finished well, as well. I always try to assess the pressure that the bowler and the team are under when I go out to bat. (Here) When I came in to bat I was middling the ball well. The bowlers were under pressure. I could feel that they wanted my wicket. So, I was thinking that I have to stay at the wicket; as long as I am there the match is ours. I was telling myself that. I was converting the boundary balls into boundaries and the strike was rotating as well; so that was a good start.”

Pathan was all praise for his partner-in-crime Pandey for the clash against Delhi Daredevils “He is batting really well right now. The way I was middling the ball and the runs were coming, I was telling him ‘the runs are coming freely. You continue to rotate the strike, and if you get the ball [which is there to be hit] for a boundary or six, convert it,” Pathan said.

“When we left from the hotel in Kolkata, he asked me for a bat and ball, which was a shock for me. He has only seen two games of mine since he really began to understand things. And after watching those two matches he has asked me for a bat and ball. I wanted to come here and win the game for the team. Today also, when we were talking on the phone, we talked about it. There can’t be a better gift then helping the team win and whatever he has asked for I will give those things to him after winning the game for my team,” he concluded.

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