IPL 2021: Even in case of dew, we have a great total, says KKR's Tripathi

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 11 (ANI): After playing a 53-run knock against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batsman Rahul Tripathi said that the side has managed to post a great total as the surface is a little tricky.
Nitish Rana and Tripathi played knocks of 80 and 53 respectively as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) posted a total of 187/6 in the allotted twenty overs against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Sunday here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Tripathi played a 53-run knock of just 29 balls studded with five boundaries and 2 sixes.
"The surface was holding a little bit. Their spinners were bowling well. I think the surface is a little tricky because the oddball is turning and sometimes skidding. I think we've got a great total. That was the role given to me today, just go out and express myself. Good length areas, use the wicket a lot, some cutters and I think we'll be able to defend it," Tripathi told host broadcaster Star Sports.
"If you get in the right areas then it was difficult to score. Whatever loose ball we got we were looking to utilise the most. It's our first game let's see (about the dew). Even if the dew comes we've got a great total," he added.
Asked to bat first, KKR got off to a solid start as openers Nitish Rana and Shubman Gill put on 50 runs in the first six overs. Rana took on the aggressive role and he dispatched all the SRH bowlers for regular boundaries, while Gill played the second fiddle.
The introduction of Rashid Khan paid off instantly as he clean bowled Gill (15) in the seventh over of the innings, ending the 53-run opening stand between Gill and Rana. Rahul Tripathi next joined Rana in the middle and the duo kept on ticking the scoreboard along. In the 10th over, Rana dispatched a short ball bowled by Vijay Shankar and as a result, he brought up his fifty.
Rana and Tripathi continued with their carnage and they started the onslaught from the 11th over of the innings. Tripathi went on to register his half-century in the 15th over of the innings and KKR looked set for a big total after being 145/1 at the end of the 15th over. However, trying to further accelerate the innings, Tripathi (53) ended up losing his wicket to Natarajan in the 16th over, ending the 93-run stand for the second wicket.
Andre Russell (5) failed to leave a mark with the bat as he was dismissed by Rashid Khan and in the very next over, Rana (80) and Eoin Morgan (2) were sent back to the pavilion by Mohammed Nabi as SRH maintained a stranglehold over the KKR batters in the death overs. In the final two overs, Dinesh Karthik (22*) and Shakib Al Hasan (3) managed to add a few crucial runs and KKR's total got beyond the 185-run mark. (ANI)