New Delhi, 07 May (H.S.):

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Dwayne Bravo praised spinner Varun Chakaravarthy, stating no one doubted his capabilities. Bravo acknowledged that the team's batting has failed to deliver consistent performances.

Ahead of Friday's match against Delhi Capitals, Bravo said during the press conference, Cricket is completely results-oriented and emotional. Varun is a world-class spinner who returned from a packed schedule after the World Cup. Getting a break at the right time is crucial. When a player is this good, returning to form is just a matter of time.

Bravo stated the team isn't overly pressured by the points table and is treating every match as a do-or-die scenario. He added, We're not thinking too much about the points table. The coaching staff's clear message is to play every match like it's the last. We had a poor start, but the team has shown improvement in the last three matches, boosting players' confidence.

Bravo acknowledged both spinners and pacers have played crucial roles this season. He noted, Some matches belong to pacers, some to spinners. Looking at the stats, our bowling from the 7th to 20th over has been very strong, largely due to our spin unit. We have three excellent spinners, but our pacers have also contributed significantly.

On Matheesha Pathirana's return, Bravo said he's close to playing but the team won't rush him. We all want to see him on the field, but considering his injury, a timely return is essential. His presence is extremely important for the team.

Bravo lavished praise on young bowlers including Kartik Tyagi. He said, Tyagi has tremendous talent and energy. He constantly wants to learn and keeps asking questions. Our focus isn't just on bowling, but teaching bowling with the right plans and strategies.

He candidly admitted, Honestly speaking, batting is the concern and that's why we're in this position. However, it's not due to lack of effort. Batsmen are working hard, but sometimes shot selection and luck make the difference. I'm confident that when the batting clicks, this team will be unstoppable.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar