Run rate was the only thing in our mind: Yashasvi after smashing fastest fifty in IPL

Young Yashasvi Jaiswal on Thursday said boosting Rajasthan Royals’ net run rate was the ”only thing in our mind” on way to his unbeaten 47-ball 98 in their IPL match against Kolkata Knight Riders here.

Jaiswal, along with skipper Sanju Samson 48 not out off 29 balls), fired with the bat to help RR complete a chase of 150 in just 13.1 overs and with nine wickets to spare at the Eden Gardens. This was after leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal bagged excellent figures of 4/25 in his quota of four overs.

”This is always in my mind, to go out there and play well. It was a nice feeling today. It is not like everything I wanted happens, I prepare well and I trust myself. I know the results will come,” Jaiswal, who raced to his fifty in a record 13 balls, said at the post-match presentation.

”The winning shot was a great feeling, I wanted to finish the game and winning the game has been my motto. I’m blessed and grateful, I’m trying my best. ”I think the run rate was the only thing in our mind, me and Sanju bhai were only talking about finishing the game quickly.”

Before he ended up playing one the best knocks of this IPL, Jaiswal saw his opening partner Jos Buttler getting run out owing to a mix-up, after which the onus was on him to help the team. ”I think it happens in the game, it gives me responsibility to do even better. And Sanju bhai came and said ‘keep playing my game, and not think about that run out’,” player of the match Jaiswal said.

RR are currently placed third in the standings with six wins and as many defeats after 12 games, the thumping win pushing their run rate to a very healthy +0.633.