The team requires me to bat at No.3: Kolkata’s Uthappa

Kolkata, April 15 (IANS) Robin Uthappa, whose 68 helped Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) win easily against Sunrisers Hyderabad, said the team now wants him to bat at No.3, and the home side was in control of the game all the time.

"The team requires me to bat at No 3. I have taken that challenge on. It's a very important position as well. It's an important wicket and we need someone who is experienced and can handle that pressure to make sure that you don't lose another wicket immediately," Uthappa, who usually opens the batting for the men in purple, told reporters at the end of the match. Uthappa was adjudged the man-of-the-match.

"I woudn't say that the experiment is not working, because it's just one game," the Karnataka batsman said of opener Sunil Narine who failed on Saturday managing just six.

"He is hitting the ball really well. I think it's important for us to back him. If we don't back players in this tournament, they trend to breed insecurity and we will back Sunil all the way. He is going to repay that faith."

KKR were always in control of the game, Uthappa said.

"At no point, we were out of the game. They never had the upper hand. We kept the momentum really well and after not getting wickets in the first six overs I thought we did really well to keep the momentum," he pointed out.

Asked if KKR who posted 172/6 after being asked to bat first by visiting captain David Warner, were a few runs short, Uthappa said: "We did end up with a little less than we intended to. But credit should be given to the bowlers for the way they bowled. Bhuvi bowled really well at the death and he is an extremely good death bowler. We did out best and had faith in our bowlers."