‘Bhuvi developed new tricks, has evolved this year’
ELIMINATOR Sunrisers will hope for a repeat of last year’s playoff, while Kolkata Knight Riders need to bounce back after losing four out of their last five matches
champions Sunrisers Hyderabad are one of the rare outfits in the IPL who appear to give more importance to bowling. It can be seen in the make-up of SRH. Their success is in equal measure due to their incisive bowling as it is due to the top-order’s consistent displays.
There is a clear, clever pattern in the bowlers SRH have gone for. They have medium-pacers who rely on control and variety. In the spin department too, they have trusted on two rookies from Afghanistan. It’s all been great value for money.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar sits atop the list of wicket-takers with 25 scalps, leg-spinner Rashid Khan has 17 wickets in 13 games, and the unsung domestic bowler Siddharth Kaul has 16 in 9. Young Mohammed Siraj has chipped in at crucial junctures (10 wickets in six games) and offspinner Mohammad Nabi has been most economical in the limited opportunities he got.
What’s been most impressive is the depth in their squad. Ashish Nehra and Mustfizur Rahman, their two top names, have hardly contributed.
Bhuvneshwar is relishing the responsibility of performing when the pressure is on. Captain David Warner uses him during powerplays and the death. Except by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, he is yet to be targeted.
Coach Tom Moody is effusive in his praise of his strike bowler. “Bhuvi has shown that he’s not only one of India’s best T20 bowlers but one of the leading bowlers in world cricket. Just look at what he’s done in conditions that are challenging for fast bowlers. He has shown consistency from last year to this year.
“Bhuvi has come to this year’s tournament with a few more tricks up his sleeve. That’s important; if you don’t evolve as a T20 player you’re going to be left behind quickly,” said Moody.
Kaul has stepped into Nehra’s shoes. An underrated domestic performer for Punjab, Kaul has been a revelation.
“They’ve (Kaul and Siraj) done well. Kaul has been with us for a couple of years. He’s been patient with his opportunity and he’s deserved that opportunity. When the time was right, we knew he was a bowler who could step up.
“Kaul is a quality player, a very fine player, an asset to our team and squad. Through that patience and hard work he’s delivered for us in the last game.” There’s a lot at stake for Kolkata Knight Riders as they take on defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad in the eliminator at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Wednesday. To start with, KKR, who have lost four of their last five matches --- they have eight group wins in all --will have to rediscover the game that helped them put together a string of victories in the earlier part of the T20 league.
Kolkata Knight Riders have won just one game out of their last five, and yet they have managed to get into the playoffs. That shows the purple brigade’s contrast in form in the first half of the tournament and towards the end of the league stage. The KKR think-tank will have to solve the jigsaw and assess what’s going wrong for the side.
Unlike their opponents, who’ve ridden on the brilliance of openers Shikhar Dhawan and skipper David Warner to set up platforms for big totals, Kolkata Knight Riders’ has been more of a team performance. Apart from the first game where Gautam Gambhir and Chris Lynn stole the show, each of their players have contributed and are responsible for where the team stands today.
Their bowling unit is as strong as their batting with the likes of Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla and Kuldeep Yadav taking care of the spin department while the pace battery is spearheaded by Umesh Yadav and Trent Boult. However, a few tough decisions might be required to turn around the side’s fortunes, such as taking a call on Yusuf Pathan (143 runs in 14 matches), who has been unimpressive throughout. It remains to be seen whether the management is willing to take that gamble on such a big occasion.
On the other hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad have been pretty solid in their set-up despite losing five matches in the group stages. Three of those losses came in the first half of the tournament and they really came out with flying colours towards the fag-end of the tournament, and claiming the all-important win against Mumbai Indians to stay on course for the playoffs.
While the Warner-Dhawan show has powered the team, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Siraj and Siddarth Kaul have all been up to the task in defending whatever totals they’ve been asked to defend.
Rashid Khan too has been pretty economical while chipping in with vital wickets to emerge as one of the most important members of the squad.
However, it’s the opening pair, the top two run-getters of the tournament, who Kolkata Knight Riders should feel most threatened about.
If either of them get going and find support from the likes of Moises Henriques or Yuvraj Singh, KKR will be left with a mountain to climb. It shouldn’t be an easy task though, as KKR have a decent bowling attack and have shown the ability to chase down totals towards the initial stages of the tournament.
There are lot of (KKR) players who know how to win playoffs. So, we make sure that we focus on us and play with the same mindset we have been playing so far