Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Umesh Yadav continued his fine form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as he picked up four wickets against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 1 (Friday). Yadav’s terrific bowling display helped KKR in bundling out PBKS for 137, in 18.2 overs. Eventually, the Kolkata-based franchise secured a six-wicket victory against PBKS.
Yadav's analysis
While talking about his current form in IPL, the 34-year-old KKR pacer said that “when someone improves at practice, they do well during the match as well.”
"I need to work hard. Getting older and when you know you play just one format, I look to bowl as much as possible. When someone improves at practice, they do well during the match as well. I didn't think Mayank would charge at me on his first ball. He has played me a lot in the nets,” Yadav said at the post-match presentation.
“I knew he would play off the back foot, and that's where I looked to bowl on a fuller length. Whatever is happening now, has been because of what I have practised with my coaches. If you bowl at 140kph, you need to be accurate, you need to bowl at the stumps," the Nagpur-born pacer further added.
A remarkable feat
In the match against PBKS, Yadav achieved a remarkable feat to feature himself in an elite list. Yadav dismissed PBKS skipper Mayank Agarwal on the last ball of the opening over and with this dismissal he became the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the powerplay of IPL. With 50 wickets in powerplay, Yadav is now only behind Sandeep Sharma (53), Zaheer Khan (52) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (52).
In the match, chasing 138, the Kolkata-based team lost their two opening batters within a score of 38. Later, KKR all-rounder Andre Russell’s (70 not out off 31 balls) super show eventually helped his side in reaching the target in 14.3 overs.
Later, Yadav was adjudged as the Man of the Match for his splendid match-winning bowling display. Previously, in the IPL season opener against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Yadav had picked up two wickets. In the next match, against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), the veteran Indian pacer scalped two more wickets as well.
