Bayliss hopes for a 2012 encore

Having won seven games on the trot, the Kolkata Knight Riders come into Qualifier-1 with plenty of confidence and momentum, much like in 2012 when they blitzed through the second half before laying their hands on the coveted crown.

Looking to replicate similar heroics, KKR coach Trevor Bayliss said the team is in great spirits and exactly where they wanted to be.

“In fact, two years ago when we emerged champions, we were almost unbeaten in the second-half,” said the Australian at a pre-match press conference on Monday.

“We were on a high coming into the semifinals. We are in good spirits but that doesn’t mean we are taking things for granted. When you come into the semifinal (Qualifier 1), you need to be playing good, confident cricket which is exactly what we are doing. However, that doesn’t guarantee success.

“I’m very proud of the boys. They’ve shown great character over the last 3-4 weeks. We’ve spoken a lot of times that we want to be playing well at the end of the tournament and we’ve gotten into Qualifier 1 on the back of some great form. And it feels nice to see them play so well.”

Despite a turbulent start, the management largely stuck to crux of the squad without making wholesale changes. Explaining the rationale behind it, Bayliss felt he always had confidence in his lads.

“We did make a few changes during the course of the tournament. One of the changes that we made was to change the batting order in a bid to try and find the right combination. I think we’ve come up with our best combination now. Seven wins in a row has proved that.”

Bayliss also didn’t want to single out Glenn Maxwell as the lone danger man but felt Kings XI as a whole could prove a difficult customer.

“We are very happy with the way we played against Punjab in the two (league) matches. The game we lost to them, we were chasing only 133 and we were not batting at our best then. But we won the next game where we restricted them to 149. They are a very good batting team and can easily turn it around any moment. We have to stay focused throughout.”

DH News Service