KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS COACH DAV WHATMORE EYEING IPL PLAYOFFS

Kolkata Knight Riders coach Dav Whatmore eyeing IPL playoffs

The coach of Kolkata Knight Riders, Dav Whatmore has said that his aim at the moment is to earn the side a berth in the knockout stages of the ongoing season four of the Indian Premier League.

King Khan’s Knight Riders will be desperate for a win when they face Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in Delhi on Thursday, April 28. The win against Delhi will surely get their IPL campaign back on track.

The Kolkata side would be coming into the game at the back of two back-to-back defeats against Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Royal Challengers Bangalore, but Whatmore was not worried about the lead-up to the match.

“We do not want to read too much into the situation right now,” said the KKR coach while talking to the media reporters ahead of the game against Daredevils. “This is such a format where you win a couple and lose a couple. At the end of it, making it to the top four will matter,” he added further.

Different people have different opinions about the pitch at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium. Whilst the Delhi skipper, Virender Sehwag, declared that the Kotla wicket was not to his liking, the RCB batsman Virat Kohli termed the track as the best he has ever played on.

However, Whatmore said that the Delhi deck looks good and reckoned it would assist fast bowlers.

The IPL contest between Delhi and Kolkata would in fact be a clash of two India openers - Virender Sehwag, leading the Daredevils and Gautam Gambhir, the Kolkata skipper. The former Australia cricketer, Whatmore is excited about the game and said some "good contest is on cards".

“They (Sehwag and Gambhir) know each other's game very well,” said the Sri Lanka born former Aussie batsman. “They will share the secrets with their respective teams to their advantage. Viru is a very respected player, Gautam is also very good. There is good contest on cards,” he added further.

With six points from three wins in six games, Kolkata Knight Riders stand fifth on the points table, but Whatmore insisted not to look at the points table just yet. He said that all the IPL teams, except for Mumbai Indians, have been inconsistent in the latest edition of the lucrative league.

He further added that at the moment, their aim is to win as many games as possible to earn a berth in the IPL playoffs.

When asked about batting all-rounder, Rajat Bhatia’s poor performances in the tournament so far, the KKR coach said it would be unfair to single someone out.

“I believe it is unfair to single out Rajat because I don't think he has got decent enough opportunities where he could have made a difference. He is as valuable a player as others,” he explained.