Kings XI had nothing to lose: Gayle

Kolkata:

Kings XI Punjab were not under pressure as they were already out of semifinal contention and that helped them in their run chase in the Indian Premier League match here on Sunday, Kolkata Knight Riders opener Chris Gayle said.

"Kings XI had nothing to lose and there was no pressure on them. They played freely. It was very disappointing to lose this game," Gayle, who hit a 42-ball 88 in KKR's 200 for three after the home side opted to bat, said.

"200 in any ground was a good total. But you cannot take away the fact that they (Kings XI) batted well. You have to give them the credit. It was a very crucial loss for us," he said.

Having lost their fifth match out of nine, KKR now have a tough task ahead to qualify for the semifinals, but Gayle said his side would be positive in the remaining five matches.

"We have been doing wonderful job with the ball. This was just one-off game. We have to be positive going into our next game. It will be an uphill task from here on. We have five more matches to go and most likely we have to win all of them. But in T20, anything is possible," he said.

On his knock, he said, "It's good to be back among runs. I started a bit slow but the captain (Sourav Ganguly) was batting really well that really took the pressure off me. After Ganguly's dismissal I had to take the charge."

Asked whether the dropped catch of Jayawardene was crucial in the outcome of the match, Gayle said, "This is cricket and such things (dropped catch) can happen to anyone."