Gambhir praises fighting spirit of Kolkata Knight Riders

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His team crashed out of the IPL after losing to Mumbai Indians in the eliminator but Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir took solace from the fact that they fought hard till the end.

After posting a modest 147 for seven yesterday, Kolkata took the match to the last with Mumbai Indians eventually winning the do-or-die encounter by four wickets.

"It showed the talent of the team. The way Mumbai Indians were cruising, and to take it to the last over from there was good. The team has come a long way from the last three years. I am extremely proud of the players," said Gambhir after Mumbai overhauled Kolkata's total with four balls to spare.

Gambhir said that the team were out of the contest after losing four early wickets on Wednesday.

"We lost four wickets in the first six overs, it was the turning point. We did not apply ourselves. We were trying to take more risks, trying to score quickly. In T20 sometimes things don't go your way. They bowled well, were sensible and stuck to good areas," the left-handed opener said.

Gambhir, who played the match after undergoing an MRI scan to assess a shoulder injury, felt all was not lost for the Kolkata outfit as they still have a chance to make it to the Champions League Twenty20 later this year through a proposed qualifying system.

"We still have a chance to qualify for the Champions League. The format of the tournament is such that anything can happen. In the qualifiers we will play against Trinidad and Tobago, one team from Sri Lanka and one from New Zealand." More

Gambhir said left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla andmiddle-order batsman Manoj Tiwary were the stand-out performers for Kolkata in this edition of the T20 event.

He also lauded pacer Laxmipathy Balaji, who turned out to be Kolkata's villain in their last round-robin league match, which they lost to Mumbai.

"Manoj Tiwary had a great tournament. The way Iqbal bowled, he was the key player for us. He showed a lot of character bowling in the first six overs. He has a bright future.

"I am also happy with the way Bala (Balaji) bowled. He had only one bad game (against MI when the medium pacer was hit for 23 runs in the final over costing Knight Riders a place in the top two). It can happen to anyone. He's a quality bowler," Gambhir said.

Gambhir also gave a thumbs up to the the newly introduced play-off format in the IPL.

"It's a good format. There's always an advantage coming number 1 or 2. We had the chance to be number two had we beaten Mumbai (in Kolkata). Bangalore have a second chance now but it is not easy," he said.

He also praised his team-mates and said a captain can only be as good as the team.

"I'm lucky to lead such a side. There are no egos. This is something this team is about. A captain is only as good as his team. You can't be a great captain without great players (playing under)," he said.