Mohali, Apr 22 : Handed another crushing defeat, a downcast Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne rued the "horror start" by his team''s batsmen while chasing a mammoth 196 against Kings XI Punjab in their Indian Premier League match here.
Royals could only manage 147 for seven in 20 overs after suffering early setbacks last night.
"We thought they could score 220-230, but in the end we did well to pull them back. But we had a horror start," Warne said at the post-match press conference.
Warne, however, praised the way Stuart Binny (30) and Ashok Menaria (34) played after the main batsmen got out.
The spin legend said the team had to pay for not having the wickets of rival skipper Adam Gilchrist and explosive opener Paul Valthaty, because the bowlers got them out on no-balls.
"You just can''t bowl no balls. You just can''t give a second chance to batsmen like Gilchrist and Paul. It was lucky for them, but unlucky for us," the 41-year-old Warne said.
He praised compatriot Shaun Marsh (71) for playing a match-winning knock and described him as a bright prospect for Australia.
Rajasthan played their fourth game in a week''s time, but Warne said the hectic scheduling was part of modern-day cricket.
Meanwhile, Shaun Marsh said that the team had been working hard to achieve success.
"It''s a great feeling," he said and praised the way Gilchrist has been leading Kings XI Punjab.
"Gilchrist is a great leader, we are lucky to have him as leader," Marsh said.
Praising the way Gilchrist and Valthaty gave a rollicking start to the innings, he said, "having good starts helps me batting at number three position. It takes of the pressure of me." PTI
