Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 7 : Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) assistant coach Ottis Gibson expressed confidence in his team's bowling lineup ahead of their clash against Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens on Tuesday, April 8 and hailed the performances of the young Indian pace duo, Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora.
In their home arena of Eden Gardens, fifth-placed KKR will be taking on sixth-placed LSG on Tuesday, with both teams having won two games out of four so far. While LSG is heading into the game with a 12-run narrow win over five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) at home, KKR also secured a thumping win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their previous home fixture.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Gibson highlighted the team's bowling strategy that worked well in their previous victory against Sunrisers Hyderabad. "The key for us is to try and take wickets with the new ball, which we did well in the last game. We will continue to try and do that going forward as well," Gibson said.
The KKR coaching staff appears particularly impressed with the development of local pace bowler Vaibhav, who has been among the top wicket-takers for the team this season, with six scalps at an average of 17.33 and an economy rate of 9.45. Rana has also taken three wickets in four matches at an average of 37.00 and an economy rate of 9.25.
"He (Vaibhav) has done very well for us. Both Harshit (Rana) and him have done very well," Gibson noted. "Look at the fact that in the last game, for instance, we were able to leave out Spencer Johnson, an international player, and play these two guys because we trust them," he added.
Gibson revealed that Arora has been working closely with team mentor Dwayne Bravo to refine his strategies. "We know how hard Vaibhav is working with DJ Bravo in terms of strategies, in terms of how he's going to set up his overs, how he is going to look to take wickets, and that's working very well."
When asked about the team's strengths, Gibson was emphatic: "Bowling is a strength." He also expressed confidence in the team's spin department, highlighting the impact of Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine. "If we do not take wickets with the new ball, then we still got those guys that we can utilize," Gibson explained, calling them 'probably the two best spinners in the competition.'
Gibson confirmed the team practiced during the afternoon yesterday to acclimatise to the expected heat for the game that will take place in the afternoon. "Most of these guys have been playing in the IPL now, they play night games, they play day games, so it shouldn't affect us too much," he added.
With KKR looking to build on their recent success, Gibson's confidence suggests the team is well-prepared for the challenge posed by Lucknow Super Giants in what promises to be an exciting encounter at Eden Gardens.