Mayers – grabbing the opportunity to showcase his skills

Making hay: Playing the match only because Quinton de Kock wasn’t available, Kyle Mayers played a crucial part in Super Giants’ victory.
| Photo Credit: PTI

The spotlight was on Mark Wood on Saturday night. That wasn’t surprising: it was a sensational spell of fast bowling. And it is not every day that a T20 match produces a five-wicket haul.

But, Kyle Mayers’ contribution was no less in Lucknow Super Giants’ resounding 50-run victory in the IPL at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium. It was around his 38-ball 73 that the Super Giants innings was built. The 30-year-old opener from the West Indies could not have hoped for a better start to his IPL career. He got a chance only because Quinton de Kock wasn’t available for the match.

“I have always dreamt of playing in the IPL; I got the opportunity today,” said the left-hander, who scored a double hundred on Test debut, against Bangladesh in 2021. “In my mind I always wanted to get a good start to show my ability and show my worth, and I thought I did that.”

Mayers said batting wasn’t easy. “It was a new surface,” he said. “None of my teammates knew how the surface would play. It was a slow start as we were trying to understand how the pitch was reacting and trying to adapt. I got stuck in, faced a few balls and then just executed my plans when the balls came in my area.”

He was all praise for Wood’s outstanding show. “To get five wickets in a T20 game is a real accomplishment,” Mayers said. “He bowled fast and challenged the batters by using the wicket.”