IPL 2021: New ball sat on the surface, it was 'challenging wicket' against KKR, says Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson in action against Kolkata Knight Riders. Pic/PTI

After suffering a six-wicket loss against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper Kane Williamson said that the pitch was a challenging one and the new ball sat on the surface which made run-scoring quite difficult.

Shubman Gill played a knock of 57 runs as KKR defeated SRH by six wickets with two balls to spare. With this win, KKR consolidated its position at the fourth spot and the side now has 12 points from 13 games.

"It was a challenging surface, it was hard to get your rhythm on because of the tennis ball bounce. Particularly with the new ball, it sat on the surface and I think it reflected in the low strike rates which have been quite interesting in the second half of the tournament. The surfaces have varied quite a lot and I think we have seen that teams which have been successful have been able to adapt to those surfaces," said Williamson while replying to an ANI query during a virtual post-match press conference.

"For us against KKR, we struggled to do that. We got through the powerplay and there was an opportunity to build towards 140-150 total and obviously, we fell short of that. Once again, it is important for us not to overreact and overcorrect. It has definitely been a challenging season for us in that aspect," he added.

Earlier, a spirited bowling performance helped KKR restrict SRH to 115/8 in the allotted twenty overs. For Eoin Morgan-led side, Tim Southee, Shivam Mavi, and Varun Chakravarthy returned with two wickets each while for SRH, Kane Williamson top-scored with a knock of 26 runs.

"I suppose, personally standing in as skipper in the second half of the tournament, you do try to have a collective focus. There are a number of things around the corner that can take the attention of the players but you know as a team, we are fortunate enough to be here. No doubt, I guess a lot of players are dealing with that, it is an interesting element to the modern game," said Williamson.

Also Read: Gill stars in KKR win as they stay in hunt for play-offs

"Umran Malik is a special talent, one of the silver linings of where we are which is certainly not desirable but we have been able to expose a number of younger players. Talent in India is immense, so many young guys are ready to go. It was great that Umran was able to get a chance against KKR," he added. SRH will next lock horns against RCB on Wednesday at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

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