Entrusted with the task of shepherding Sunrisers Hyderabad's middle-order, young Nitish Reddy has been doing the job with aplomb at a time when he is seen by many as a future India all-rounder, thanks to his ability to bowl lively medium pace. (More Cricket News)
Opting to bat in the IPL game against table-toppers Rajasthan Royals on Thursday, Reddy (76 not out) and Travis Head 🐻(58) produced explosive fifties, while Heinrich Klassen made an unbeaten 19-ball 42 to power SRH to 201 for three.
Experienced seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar🐻 then did the star turn with a sensational final over as SRH pulled off a heist, stunning RR by just one run in a last-ball thriller to keep their playoff hopes alive.
🅷Nitish, 20, stated that his role was to rebuild the innings after quick wickets.
♌"From the last two matches, we are losing quick wickets and I have to go. My role is to carry on till the 13th and 14th over so that Klaasen gets a license to bang. There is no point in Klaasen and Samad coming early, but not getting to score freely," said Nitish at the post-match press conference.
♚The all-rounder hailed Bhuvneshwar after the veteran pacer bowled a brilliant final over to help Hyderabad seal a dramatic win.
ꦓNitish said he was hopeful that Bhuvneshwar would be able to defend 13 runs in the last over.
🍸"I was looking at who was going to bowl. When I saw Bhuvneshwar was going to bowl, I got the confidence that he was going to pull it off.
𒐪"During his prime, he had done it so many times. I did not think we were going to win, I thought either we'd lose or tie. But that last-ball wicket, I felt so happy," Nitish said.
During his explosive knock, Nitish smashed RR's in-form Yuzvendra Chahal 𒊎for two fours and two sixes in the 13th over. Nitish said that he backed himself to attack the seasoned leg-spinner.
Reddy also said the victory against RR, following losses to Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings, is important.
🔥"Beating RR will boost our confidence, they are at the top of the points table," he concluded.
Not in my best form: Parag
Rajasthan Royals batter Riyan Parag🐻 returned to the top five in the Orange Cape race after striking his fourth fifty of the season.
💎The 22-year-old Parag slammed 77 off 49 balls but could not help his side chase down the target set by SRH.
🍃Despite his breakout season with the franchise, Parag said he was not in his best form since he could not finish the game.
꧟"I got a lot of areas to improve. I am not in my best form, I would have finished the game otherwise.
♚"I got a lot of areas to perfect. I try to learn from my mistakes and not repeat them. Is it my best innings? No. I would say that if I get a hundred," Parag told reporters.
⛦The Assam player said the loss was "dramatic", adding that his team made a few errors.
𒅌"It is never good to end on the losing side. We did a lot of things right. We will focus on them more rather than dwelling on our mistakes. We are at a good position in the points table. Just one bad game I guess.
💙"We made a few errors in two-three overs and it cost us the game. That is how T20 is, IPL is," he said.
