Shubman Gill
Kolkata Knight Riders opener Shubman Gill has said that many teams don't make a comeback like the way his team did in the second half of IPL 2021 in the UAE. He added that collective performance by his team has been very important.
After winning only two of their seven matches in the first phase of the tournament in India, Kolkata orchestrated an incredible turnaround in the second half, winning five out of seven matches. The two-time champions qualified for the playoffs ahead of Mumbai Indians due to a superior net run rate.
"The way we came back in the second leg, you don't see too many teams doing that. If you look at our team, there isn't anyone who is having the Orange Cap, there isn't anyone who has the Purple Cap. But the important thing is everyone collectively performing well," said Gill in a video by the franchise on their Twitter handle on Monday.
"And these are the small things that make a team a champion team. And once the team qualify for the playoffs, it's like a different ballgame and anyone can win," added Gill, who has scored consecutive half-centuries in the last matches.
Pacer Lockie Ferguson believed his team did well in the UAE. "We had a couple of close games, even the losses we had were very close games right down to the last ball. The great teams around the world have that sort of setup where there's any one of the 11 players can stand up and be a match-winner."
Ferguson concluded by saying that the tournament for them starts now. "The attitude around the group's been very much we've done so much hard work in the second phase of the competition. We have won five from seven, great. We've sort of got back to par, where we should be as a team, and now the tournament starts. But we've got to start with the first game against RCB and then hopefully go from there."
Kolkata, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2018, will face Royal Challengers Bangalore in the eliminator in Sharjah on Monday.
