02 May,2024 06:55 AM IST | Hyderabad | N Jagannath Das
SRH captain Pat Cummins (left) with teammates during a training session in Hyderabad yesterday. Pic/PTI
Two successive defeats, one at home and the other in Chennai, has put a spanner in Sunrisers Hyderabad's wheels. Desperate to get back to winning ways, SRH face table toppers Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Thursday. The two setbacks have pushed the Pat Cummins-led team from third to fifth on the points table.
All was going well for SRH till they hit a roadblock against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and then collapsed against Chennai Super Kings. The SRH batting seems to revolve around the attacking top-order trio of Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen. Once these three batters fall, SRH lose momentum. There has been debate about SRH continuing their aggressive batting style. This season, they have wobbled while chasing the targets.
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SRH assistant coach Simon Helmot said it has been a tricky first half of the season as they won five matches and there were a couple of hiccups. "That can happen. We are looking to play an aggressive brand of cricket," Helmot said.
He added that they are not overtly concerned about the defeats. "We need to play our best against RR, who are at the top of the ladder. They have a very balanced side and very good spinners, but we have good players of spin too," he pointed out.
There are also some bowling concerns for SRH. The seasoned Cummins has leaked 104 runs from his eight overs in the last two matches. It is hurting SRH as the Aussie pacer is a vital cog in their bowling set-up. The inability to take wickets in the Powerplay is putting pressure to check the run-rate and take wickets in the middle overs. The onus is on the bowlers to stop the in-form RR batters.
RR head coach Kumar Sangakkara pointed out that SRH are a great side. "They are playing good cricket and so are we. This year's IPL is quite volatile and there is a lot of pressure in the middle. We need to be calm during key moments. Whoever executes better, wins the match," Sangakkara said.
RR are riding high this season. They have lost only one match in nine outings. They have been meticulous in their planning and execution. The batters have delivered the goods consistently while the bowlers have been accurate and incisive. Sanju Samson has led from the front. He has batted aggressively and efficiently.
Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler have hit timely centuries. Riyan Parag has shown good intent. Dhruv Jurel returned to form in the last match (52 against LSG). Shimron Hetmyer's lusty hits have been useful at the death.
It is a sort of homecoming for Sandeep Sharma, who was with SRH till a few years ago. The Punjab swing bowler and Trent Boult have been impressive. So is leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, one of the leading wicket-takers this season. Incidentally, Jaiswal, Samson and Chahal have made it to the Indian team following their strong performances for RR this season.
Sangakkara added that their campaign has been pretty good and settled so far. "The players have taken a lot of leadership, right from Sanju Samson as a leader. It worked for us on a number of occasions," he said.
The former Sri Lanka captain said they are not afraid of the law of averages and the players are very focussed. "Whatever happens, happens. We take one game at a time. But we try to get better and better each game," he concluded.
