KKR all-rounder Moeen Ali has admitted that their record loss to PBKS in Mullanpur still lingers in their mind, but the defending champions will be looking to bounce back in the reverse fixture on April 26.
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00:00Actually, we've spoken less about things. Previously, we were speaking quite a lot about how we want to play and what we want to try and do. But sometimes you can confuse players and they're not sure on how to go about things. But obviously, the confidence is low. We've had a couple of bad losses, in particular the last two, with the way we've batted.
00:20But it was not so long ago where we almost chased 240, so we did play well also in between. So it's just having the mindset where you kind of have to fool yourself and say that you're playing well and just go all out.
00:35Because the way we're playing and the way we've batted in the last two games, we're not going to win many games. So we have to go out there and express ourselves as players and just have a bit more fun.
00:44I think sometimes from the outside you can see that the pressure is a lot on players generally, but it's just taking that pressure off and enjoying yourself and showing your skills.
00:53Do you sincerely believe that KKR still has a chance to qualify up to the semi-final stages?
01:07Yes, definitely. If you look at history, even if you look at Mumbai, for example, now they had a bit of a bad start and now they've won, I think, four in a row, five in a row.
01:17And they're flying. So we also need to have that same mindset and do the same thing where we're halfway stage now.
01:24We have to win most of our games. But this squad and team has played well enough so far, I think, to show that we can go on a run and win games.
01:36But it's going to take a lot of determination, a lot of belief for us to do that.
01:41And it's one of those things and competitions where you can go on a run and win four or five games in a row.
01:48Hi, Moin. This is Shahab from The Telegraph. You have been in and out of the playing 11.
01:55So how difficult is it in terms of adjustment?
01:59To be honest, if you look at where I'm at in my career, it's not as difficult.
02:07If I was younger and a bit more playing like international cricket and things like that, then it would be a lot harder.
02:14But now at my age, it depends on my own mindset.
02:18So my mindset is to come and whenever the game requires or the team requires me to play, to be ready.
02:24And I prepare like I'm playing every game.
02:27And then I get told if I'm playing or not.
02:30But five, ten years ago it would have been difficult.
02:34But now it's not so difficult.
02:36You just crack on and do what the team needs.
02:38And the reality is when I came here, before I came here, I didn't think I was going to play too many games anyway.
02:44So I've managed to play four so far.
02:46So it's still, from a personal point, it's good that I've played the four games.
02:54Sandeep from ABP News Network. Hi, Moin.
02:57Kikir does possess a very explosive lower middle order betting lineup.
03:01But this year they are not performing up to the mark.
03:05So what sort of talks are going on within the team right now about them, about their non-performance this season?
03:15Look, as players and as a management and everybody knows that this can happen to teams
03:20and can happen to individuals where they're struggling for form or confidence or whatever it is.
03:25But you have to, we're in a situation where you can't feel sorry for yourself or you can't,
03:30you have to go out and not be afraid and not be scared to play.
03:35How you want to play and I think that's the key.
03:38We have so much batting sometimes that can be a problem as well in certain teams.
03:42But I don't think it's a problem for us.
03:44I just think that we need to go out and express the way we can play.
03:48We have some very, very good players who guys will play for India and obviously other international teams.
03:53So there's plenty of batting but still not rely on other players to do the work.
03:58You have to, as a batter, do the finishing job.
04:04Shubhain from RefSports.
04:05Mohin, you are a senior pro yourself having played so much of cricket.
04:10Looking at this KKR batting unit, what do you think is the strength?
04:13You talked about the depth and the variety and the experience there.
04:16But according to you, what is the real strength of this KKR batting unit?
04:20The real strength is obviously we have guys who can go and play shots and almost ultra-aggressive in someone like Sunil Narain.
04:31But then you have Ajink here who's more classical type of player and plays beautiful shots and is in red hot form.
04:38You have the youngster in Ankerish who's playing brilliantly well as well.
04:44And then you have obviously Venki, Rinku, myself, Russell.
04:48Russell's more of an explosive at the back.
04:51So everything is there.
04:53The ingredients is all there.
04:54And I actually genuinely think it's one of the stronger batting lineups in the competition.
04:59But we just haven't performed as a unit all the time.
05:02A couple of guys like Ankerish and Ajink here have.
05:05But some guys, and form can happen with players.
05:09It's just a matter of us as individuals turning that around.
05:14Last couple.
05:16Yeah.
05:17Moin, here.
05:18Here, here.
05:19Zafar Ali Khan from Akhbar-e-Mushrik here.
05:21Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry.
05:23Yeah.
05:24Zafar Ali Khan from Akhbar-e-Mushrik.
05:26Salamu alaikum.
05:26So the thing is that KKR depended too much on Rinku, Andre Russell and Sunil Narain.
05:33So depending too much on some star players, did it make any loss to KKR?
05:40Or you should have groomed new players?
05:41No, I think they are.
05:44I think Ankerish is a new player who's done really well.
05:48I know he's played a bit last year.
05:49But this year, it looks like he's playing on a different level to most of the guys.
05:54I don't think the team's relying so much on...
05:58Obviously, you need guys to come to a party.
06:01And someone like Russell, who's done it for so many years here in particular.
06:05But you never, I think from my point of view, you never rely on other guys.
06:09Like I said, you have to take that onus and do it yourself as a player, as a batter.
06:16Someone like Rinku and Venki are talented, very talented players.
06:19We've done well in the past.
06:20But obviously, forms and confidence is a bit low.
06:23But there's still a long way to go.
06:25And we just need them to be a bit more confident in their own ability.
06:28And we'll be fine.
06:32Do you think the shadow of the debacle in the last match against the same opponent
06:37will have something or you've already forgotten that?
06:41I mean, you never forget.
06:42Obviously, it's very difficult to forget.
06:45But this tournament is such where you will have a couple of bad games in between.
06:49And real tests.
06:54And tomorrow's going to be a real test.
06:55Because obviously, it was only two games ago, we had a collapse against these guys.
06:58But in the same game, we bowled them out very cheaply.
07:02And we were in a position to win.
07:03It was literally a bad half an hour, 40 minutes we had.
07:06Even just before Jinx got out, or Jinx here, we were in control of the game.
07:11And we were winning the game.
07:12And we had a bad half an hour, 40 minutes.
07:14And at this level, it shouldn't really happen.
07:16But it did happen.
07:18So you never forget.
07:19But it's just learning.
07:20And I'm putting that right next time.
07:21We'll end with one tomorrow.
07:25You know, this, just almost a little bit like his question.
07:33You know, leg spinners, you're a spinner yourself.
07:35But leg spinners have a special thing of, you know, when they get in, they can destroy things.
07:41We've seen that.
07:41So with Chahal getting those four wickets, will that, with the sight of Chahal in a batting line-up, which is not on the top of their confidence,
07:52is that, do you fear that might just come into the minds of the batsmen?
07:56No, because the guys would have played Chahal many times before and done well against him.
08:02He had a brilliant day that day.
08:03We didn't play him very well at all.
08:05But it's learning.
08:08There's two ways to go.
08:09You either think that he's going to destroy you again, or you take him on a bit more and you be confident.
08:17So hopefully we'll do the latter.
08:20But yeah, he's a very, very good bowler and has been for many years.
08:24But before that game, he was also probably struggling a little bit as well as a spinner.
08:27So confidence can come back within one innings like for him it has.
08:31So hopefully it will be the other way around this time.