Gilly wants four wins on the trot

The Australian said it will be a challenge for his team to bat on the Ferozeshah Kotla track. “It will be a real challenge for us to bat on a slow track at Kotla. In the last match, we saw Daredevils struggling to cope with the slowness of the track. But it is a challenge for both the teams so we can’t complain much about it,” Gilchrist said.

Kings XI Punjab, who are third in the points table, are riding on a high with a hat-trick of wins in the IPL. They defeated Rajasthan Royals by 48 runs in Mohali on Thursday night.

Gilchrist said he was looking forward to make it fourth consecutive win for Kings XI. “It would be great to make it four-in-a-row. But it has been an interesting tournament. You don’t know what may happen. Four good overs with the ball or bat may change things for any team. So we are pretty focussed on tomorrow’s match,” said Gilchrist.

Asked if Daredevils’ twin losses at home will be an advantage for his team, Gilchrist said: “We are not thinking about their losses. We are focussed on getting our act right and playing well. Every match in the league is crucial and it is important to carry on the winning momentum.”

Gilchrist also warned his team of not taking the Daredevils lightly. “Daredevils are a very strong side. It is a long tournament and they can bounce back anytime. They have some great players who are capable of winning matches single-handedly,” he said.

Asked if his bowlers had some special plans to restrict Daredevils’ captain Virender Shewag, Gilchrist said: “Viru is an extremely dangerous batsmen, but there are other good batsmen in the side as well. We have to just bowl according to our plan.”   

The former Australian captain also had words of praise for his new opening partner Paul Valthaty, saying he is an “exceptional talent”.