Following a four-wicket win against Punjab Kings (PBKS), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper Pat Cummins lauded young batter Abhishek Sharma for “playing with freedom, not only against pacers but also against spinners.”
Fiery knocks from Abhishek and Heinrich Klaasen helped SRH to reach the second spot in the points table, with a four-wicket win against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Hyderabad on Sunday.
Speaking after the game in the post-match presentation, Cummins said, “It is pretty cool, it is awesome. We have won six out of seven games here (at Hyderabad), it has been great and amazing. I did not know many guys coming into this season, but we have played great cricket and had some fun. Great bunch of guys. He (Abhishek) is amazing. I would not want to bowl to him. It is scary, as he plays with freedom, not only against pacers but also against spinners.”
Cummins also heaped praise on young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, for his “maturity beyond his age” and class as a player.
“Really satisfying and exciting. I have not played in finals (of IPL) before, we will know in a few hours which game it is. Playing some really good cricket, excited for what is ahead,” he concluded.
Abhishek in 13 innings has scored 467 runs, the ninth most by a batter this season, at an average of 38.91 and a strike rate of 209.41. He scored three half-centuries, with the best score of 75*.
Reddy is also a great find for SRH this season, winning hearts and grabbing eyeballs with his classy, calm and composed batting, six-hitting and useful pace bowling. In 10 matches, he scored 276 runs in eight innings at an average of 46.00 and a strike rate of 151.64, with two fifties. He has also taken three wickets.
Coming to the match, PBKS won the toss and elected to bat first. A hard-hitting half-century from Prabhsimran Singh (71 in 45 balls, with seven fours and four sixes) and knocks from Rilee Rossouw (49 in 24 balls, with three fours and four sixes) and Atharva Taide (46 in 27 balls, with five fours and two sixes) set the tone for a big total, taking PBKS to 214/5 in their 20 overs.
T Natarajan (2/33) was the pick of the bowlers for SRH. In the run-chase, after losing Travis Head for a duck, Abhishek Sharma (66 in 28 balls, with five fours and six sixes), Nitish Kumar Reddy (37 in 25 balls, with a four and three sixes) and Heinrich Klaasen (42 in 26 balls, with three fours and two sixes) played fiery knocks to propel SRH to 215/6 in 19.1 overs, winning the game with five balls left.
Arshdeep Singh (2/37) was the pick of the bowlers for PBKS. Abhishek Sharma was the Player of the Match for his quickfire fifty. SRH is at number two in the points table, with eight wins, five losses and a no result, with 17 points. PBKS is in the ninth spot with five wins, nine losses and 10 points.