In a tightly contested match in Mullanpur, Rajasthan Royals eked out a thrilling three-wicket win over Punjab Kings on Saturday despite the absence of their key players Jos Buttler and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Trent Boult attributed the win to the squad's depth and quality, which he said were key to clinching the two vital points and keeping the match from slipping away.
“It was nice to see the depth of the squad and see different guys step up in different situations,” said Boult, who bowled four overs for just 22.
“The match went a little bit deeper than what we were hoping for but the satisfying thing is that it gives guys opportunities to put their hand up.”
From a bowling perspective, Boult reckoned keeping the Kings to 147/8 was an achievement on a balanced pitch.
"I thought it was a good wicket in my opinion. So to restrict them to under 150 was a big plus from a bowling point of view."
Boult also praised teammate Keshav Maharaj, who picked up crucial wickets of Jonny Bairstow and Sam Curran and gave just 23 in four overs.
“Ashwin and Yuzi (Yuzvendra Chahal) are very experienced bowlers but it is good to have someone like Keshav, a world-class spinner in his own right. I think he showed that quality this afternoon. To come in and keep it tight and pick up two valuable wickets in the middle, it was nice to see different guys step up in different situations.”
Chasing 148 to win, Tanush Kotian scored 24 runs on his IPL debut to get the Royals off to a good start with Yashasvi Jaiswal. Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell stepped up later in the innings to get the job done.
With five wins under the belt from six games, the Royals have been the best side in the IPL 2024 so far. However, Boult reckoned the team is focussing on just one game at a time and not looking too far ahead.
"We had a very good start to the tournament last year and things didn’t work out the way we wanted them to. We are focused entirely on the game that we are approaching. We don’t need to look too far ahead and I am sure we are now in a good position to keep ticking along with the tournament," he explained.
Rajasthan Royals will take on Kolkata Knight Riders in their seventh game in IPL 2024 at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday. Kolkata Knight Riders have played three and lost one match so far.
