Their nothing to lose attitude has kept them afloat for a play-off berth and Kings XI Punjab wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha said his team will look to employ a similar approach in their do-or-die IPL encounter against Rising Pune Supergiant.
KXIP piped Mumbai Indians by seven runs in an Indian Premier League encounter in Mumbai on Thursday and kept their hopes alive to stay in a contention for the play-offs.
Saha stuck an unbeaten 93 in 55 balls to help his team post a mammoth 230 for 3. In reply, Mumbai were restricted to 223/6. Now they need to defeat the Rising Pune Supergiant in their last game.
"In the last three games, whatever we were doing, the target was the attitude should be of nothing to lose, execute it in batting, bowling and fielding, play the natural game, then we will see what happens. We have defeated KKR and MI (and) we will try to play against Pune as we played in these two games," Saha told reporters at the post match conference on Thursday.
Test specialist Saha displayed another aspect of his batting when he hit a flurry of boundaries and sixes in his whirlwind innings.
"I was asked to play hard in the first six overs and there was good partnership with (Martin) Guptilll and we continued the momentum, it feels good after performing well," he said.
Mohit Sharma had defended 16 runs in the last over and Saha said the idea was to bowl yorkers.
"(Before) the last over I did not come to the bowler (Mohit), they (Mohit, Glenn Maxwell) were discussing that (Kieron) Pollard was hitting well, but he was tired, so if he was bowled a yorker, it would be tough for him," Saha said.
"Initially, Mohit tried the slower ball, which is his strength but after being hit for a six, he came to the team (members) to discuss," explained Saha.
Saha said that the team knew if they can hold the proceedings till the end, they would be in the game.
"The match was a roller coaster. They did good batting initially, we took wickets in the middle. Then Hardik (Pandya) and Pollard hammered, it was a close game and we thought if we could hold till the end, then (we are there in the game)," he added.
