When Sunrisers Hyderabad lost David Warner before this season, there was speculation the 2016 Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, despite a strong bowling attack, could flop. (IPL 2018 FULL COVERAGE)
Warner had carried the side’s batting on his shoulders and was the second highest run-getter in 2016 when SRH became champions; and the second highest run-getter last year when they lost in the playoffs.
However, his replacement as skipper, Kane Williamson, who is poles apart in temperament to the aggressive Australian, has led from the front and to the cusp of the playoffs with the tournament barely past the halfway mark.
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SRH have 16 points from 10 games and a win against bottom-placed Delhi Daredevils at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Thursday will guarantee them a spot in the playoffs.
While most of the credit has gone to the bowlers as they’ve defended low totals, twice bowled out teams, taken eight wickets twice and nine wickets once, what has gone unnoticed is they’ve been fortunate to bowl on wickets that have been tough for batting, especially in Hyderabad.
{{/usCountry}}While most of the credit has gone to the bowlers as they’ve defended low totals, twice bowled out teams, taken eight wickets twice and nine wickets once, what has gone unnoticed is they’ve been fortunate to bowl on wickets that have been tough for batting, especially in Hyderabad.
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Tough wickets
On the eve of the Sunrisers’ game against Delhi Daredevils, chief coach Tom Moody put things in perspective.
“I don’t want to take credit away from bowlers. They’ve done a terrific job. They keep delivering under pressure. But what we need to recognise is that with regards to our batting, the last five games we’ve played have been on challenging wickets. So, we haven’t had the pleasure of being able to stand and deliver like we’ve seen a few games here in Delhi, Kolkata and Pune. Our wickets have not been of that nature. They’ve been hard to bat on,” the former Aussie all-rounder said.
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That probably makes Williamson the most valuable player in the SRH camp. With 410 runs at over 51, the Kiwi skipper has scored more than double the runs the second highest run-getter in his team has scored this season. His 56 against Royal Challengers Bangalore two days earlier was match-winning. It helped take SRH to 146, which eventually proved a bit too much for Virat Kohli’s team. Against both Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals before that, he made valuable contributions.
Inspirational Kane
Aside of that, he has been inspirational as skipper. His RCB counterpart Virat Kohli recently pointed out the need to let bowlers make their own decisions and not bother them much. Williamson, with plenty of bowling options around him, has ensured regular conversations with bowlers.
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Unlike Warner, who had little experience as captain before IPL, Williamson leads New Zealand in all three formats. And the manner in which he has used his bowlers, especially spinners, has impressed all.
“Kane is very astute. We’ve seen that with him captaining the New Zealand side. He has transitioned into that role here,” said Moody. “He is not that old when it comes to international cricket captaincy. But he has a very wise head and reads the game very well in pressure situations. It is great to have Kane take that responsibility.”
There has rarely been a moment in international cricket where he has let go of his emotions, but in IPL he has expressed himself on a couple of occasions.
Moody said: “The pace and emotion are of different kinds in Test and T20s. While Test is a grind, T20 is fast and furious where even the most subdued character will get a little bit emotionally connected. I don’t think he has gone over the top, he just cares.”