Tamil Nadu captain R. Sai Kishore admitted that his team failed to capitalize on the opportunity after going down to Rajasthan in the quarter-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Thursday.
The exit marked a disappointing campaign for the southern team in white-ball cricket. Earlier, the team failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) T20 tournament.
TN is considered a powerhouse in limited-overs cricket but has not won a title since Mushtaq Ali’s triumph in 2021-22.
“It was a good bowling performance initially as we restricted them to 267. It was chaseable. Knockouts are about dealing with pressure and with the experience we have, we should have done that,” Sai Kishore said.
“Credit to Rajasthan for bowling well and putting pressure on us. There were some soft layoffs. The match was in our hands and we should have finished it,” he added.
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The captain also emphasized that for the players to advance to the next level, the team must win trophies. “Many of us are playing at a higher level because we have won tournaments. So anything below this level is a failure. We have many IPL players aspiring to play for the country and to achieve that, we have to win.
Meanwhile, head coach L. Balaji lamented that his bowlers conceded many extra chances in the match (17 wickets and three no-balls). “The dynamics will change here and there in the match, but things like wides are within our control. We could have done better there,” Balaji said.
The former Indian player hopes that the Ranji Trophy competition will resume in two weeks and that the players will be able to perform at their best in the final phase of the domestic season. TN has 19 points after five games and is the leader of Group D.
“We have to learn some things and draw positive conclusions, but also try to reduce the gap between mistakes and good things. I am looking forward to red ball cricket where we have a very good chance,” he added.
