Sharjah, Sep 29 (IANS): Delhi Capitals' assistant coach Pravin Amre said that it was the effort that mattered more than anything as his side suffered a rare defeat in this season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), losing to Kolkata Knight Riders at Sharjah on Tuesday.

Delhi Capitals encountered their first loss in five matches in the UAE this season after going down by three wickets. The Delhi franchise posted a total of 127/9 in their 20 overs, before KKR chased down the score in 18.2 overs.

"We know that there will be ups and downs in the IPL and we know that we are going to have matches like this one. However, the coaching group was very happy with the effort put in by the entire team. After being in a difficult situation, Rishabh Pant played till the last over of the innings, which helped us get a fighting total on the board. And even while bowling, the players fought very well and ensured that the chase wasn't a cakewalk for KKR," said Amre.

Delhi Capitals skipper Pant scored a patient 39 off 36 deliveries as wickets kept falling at regular intervals to guide his side to a fighting 127 on a sluggish Sharjah pitch.

Speaking about the positives from the match, Amre said, "Avesh Khan (3/13) put up an extraordinary performance and Axar Patel (none for 13) bowled very well. The latter conceded only 7 runs in 17 balls apart from being hit for a six off his second delivery in the innings. These are the positives from the game. We could see that the players can perform under pressure."

Amre added that the loss against KKR will motivate his side to put in even more effort in the upcoming games. "When you lose, you pull your socks up for the upcoming games and that's what our mindset is going to be. Every game is important and we will give our 100 per cent for each and every game."

The Delhi Capitals will take on Mumbai Indians in their next match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on October 2.