'Bitter pill to swallow' - Shreyas Iyer disappointed after Kolkata loses to Rajasthan at home

Rajasthan Royals registered an iconic victory against in-form Kolkata Knight Riders in the 31st game of the ongoing IPL (Indian Premier League). Both sides locked horns at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday, April 16. The clash saw the hosts post a mammoth target of 223 runs on the board. 

Aiming to chase down the total, the Royals found themselves in trouble as several of their batters failed to go big. It was the knock of Jos Buttler that helped the Royals win the game. The star batter scored 107* runs in 60 deliveries and helped his side win the game by two wickets. 

After the game, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Shreyas Iyer came forward to talk about how disappointed he was to lose the game and that they had to take it on the chin and focus on their upcoming assignments. 

"Bitter pill to swallow, emotions were a roller-coaster. I didn't think this is the situation we'd get into. It's a funny game, (Rovman) was striking well. Hard to explain what happened, have to take it on the chin and move on. At this point, you have to see to it that you bowl your best deliveries, a little miss here and there, and you're sent out of the ground. Glad it happened here and not in the latter half of the tournament," Iyer was quoted as saying by IndiaToday. 

Need to introspect and come back stronger: Iyer

Furthermore, Shreyas Iyer heaped praise on Sunil Narine, who hit a magnificent century in the first innings and even took two wickets in the second innings. The skipper called Narine a huge asset to the team. 

"Need to introspect and come back stronger. Narine is a great asset to the team, showing it in every game when he comes out to bat. That kind of character, glad he's part of our team,” Iyer said.

He also explained his decision to let Varun Chakravarthy bowl the final over of the clash, the over in which Buttler finished the game.  

"Since Buttler was striking it clean, I thought let's take the pace off and give it to Varun Chakravarthy. He was clean in his hitting as well. Just let it go, sink in, it's all about relaxing, rejuvenating. We had a tough game, within 2-3 days, important we learn from our mistakes and bounce back strong,” Iyer said.