‘I just backed my instincts’ - KKR youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi reflects on his sensational IPL debut

Kolkata Knight Riders continue to dominate the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024). Having played three games in the tournament, Kolkata has managed to register wins in every game that they have played so far. 

Their recent clash against Delhi Capitals in Vizag made history as the two-time champions posted a mammoth total of 272 runs in the first innings of the game. Several performances stood out from the first innings, but many came forward to laud the performance of debutant, Angkrish Raghuvanshi. The 18-year-old bashed Delhi’s bowlers, scoring 54 runs in 27 deliveries and making his mark on the tournament. However, it was his post-match interview that went viral all over social media. Scoring his first half-century of the IPL, Raghuvanshi had a conversation with Harsha Bhogle in the post-match presentation ceremony and talked about his performance.  

“When I went into bat, it was just ‘watch the ball’, and that’s it. I think the amount of practice in the last few weeks, I just backed my instincts, and it happened,” Raghuvanshi said in the post-match presentation ceremony. 

Furthermore, Harsha Bhogle asked him if the 272-run total would be enough to defend. However, the 18-year-old was quick to bring up the recent clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians and opined that the job was not done yet.

“I mean, did you see the Sunrisers match? It was clearly not enough, so the job’s not done yet," he responded.

Besides, Raghuvanshi was also asked about the potential bowling tactics that Kolkata Knight Riders could use in the second innings to defend the total. He pointed out that the track had less assistance for the spinners but given the quality spinners in the side, his side was definitely in the game.

“I think anything that you bowl on that track is coming on well, but I think that we did not see much of spin but our spinners are great so let’s see how it goes,” Raghuvanshi concluded.

Check out Raghuvanshi's Bhogle fanboy moment here:

Also Read: DC vs KKR Match 16 Highlights: Unmissable video recap, turning points, match analysis, stats, and more

Kolkata bagged a dominating win over Delhi on a run-fest night

Kolkata Knight Riders did end up putting in a brilliant performance with the ball. The pressure of the run chase got to Delhi Capitals. Consequently, they got bundled out for a score of 166 runs.

Also Read: Ricky Ponting after DC's 106-run defeat versus KKR

In notable performances for the visiting side, Varun Chakravarthy and Vaibhav Arora were the highest wicket-takers, with three wickets each to their names. Mitchell Starc struck twice, with Andre Russell and Sunil Narine striking once each, as Kolkata won the game by 106 runs.