IPL 2018: Sunil Gavaskar feels Sunrisers Hyderabad Can't Afford to be Complacent
Published - 28 Apr 2018, 05:51 PM | Updated - 22 Aug 2024, 11:50 PM
Former India skipper, Sunil Gavaskar feels Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who have won two matches on a trot can’t afford to be complacent when they square off against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 29 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad has mastered the art of defending low totals. At first, they restricted Mumbai Indians for 87 runs after posting 118 runs on the board. Then they backed it up with another brilliant win against Punjab defending 132 runs.
The bowlers have done a tremendous job led by the Afghan spinner Rashid Khan. His return to form will be a huge boost for the Sunrisers.
However, Gavaskar feels Hyderabad has achieved an impossible feat in the last two games. He also credited their self-belief as the main reason behind the success.
“Mind-boggling is the only way to describe the heists that the Sunrisers Hyderabad are pulling off in this IPL. They have twice defended scores where the asking rate for the opposition is less than 7 runs an over. It’s a near-impossible feat and to have done it twice already tells how good the attack is but more importantly the self-belief that this team has,” Gavaskar wrote in TOI.
Gavaskar credits the dugout for SRH’s success
The former cricketer mentioned with VVS Laxman in the dugout it is not impossible to win matches from these situations.
He also lauded Tom Moody and Muttiah Muralitharan for being the coolest person and doing their job from behind.
“With Laxman in the dugout, it’s no surprise that the Sunrisers are rising to the occasion and winning games from impossible situations. They have Tom Moody and the magician Muttiah Muralitharan too in their dug out and so three of the calmest, coolest guys in the dug out ensures that there are no panic stations at all,” he added.
Moreover, Gavaskar also praised skipper Kane Williamson, who has been icing on the cake.
The legend also admitted that Williamson had been spot on with his field placement and bowling changes. Meanwhile, the Sunrisers are currently at the second spot with five wins from seven games.
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